


Borrowed Time

by Omoni



Series: Random Undertale Stories and Drabbles [18]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphyne, Alphynecentric, Alphys/Undyne-centric, DT experiments, Determination, Established Alphys/Undyne, F/F, F/M, Failed Cures, Flowerpot Flowey, Gen, Happy Ending, Intense Sex, Lewff, Marriage, Smut is also in chapter 24, Smut is in chapter 18, Undyne the Undying - Freeform, Very sexual language, cures, enjoy, explicit for a reason, no one dies, public shooting, some blood, some homophobia, some violence, trying to live when time is running out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-02-14 22:08:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 64,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13017141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: When Undyne and Alphys are attacked at a public party, Undyne ends up in full Undying mode - and then has to try to either reverse it and live, or find a way to live with that power.Otherwise, she'll perish from it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Embersparkfire93](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Embersparkfire93/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Ember!

It was supposed to be a good day. 

Five years. It had been five years since the barrier was brought down, and since then, there was a great deal of equilibrium that had managed to fall over both peoples. They were hard years, spent fighting for land and rights, but today, on this fifth year, they would finally be declared true citizens of Ebott at last.

As such, a party was being held at City Hall, a big, open party that was mostly held outside to accommodate so many people. Therefore, it was easy to lose each other in the crowd, but still, they tried to stick together. 

Frisk was with their parents, holding a flowerpot - with a huge yellow flower - in their arms, grinning happily. The flower - who of course was none other than Flowey - looked slightly irritated at being surrounded by so many people, but five years on the surface had done a great deal for his temperament. 

A bit further away stood sans and Papyrus, chatting with Mettaton and a couple of his fans. All three looked amused by whatever was being said, and the fans looked on in quiet awe. 

Undyne and Alphys were sitting together and eating. The food was barbecue, and there were so many booths that the two had grown dizzy trying to decide which to pick, so they both chose a little bit of everything to share - even sometimes feeding each other and giggling.

They'd been together for those five years, and today was a huge day for them, especially, as being citizens meant that they could get married on the surface at last. They'd had a small monster ceremony four years ago, so technically, they were already married. But the city only recognised monster marriages that had occurred before the barrier broke, and not after. Therefore, they'd had to wait.

They'd already set the date: two days from now. 

Alphys beamed up at Undyne, her eyes shining and her tail wagging. She could barely believe that the past five years had happened, let alone what would happen in two days. She was so excited she could barely sleep, and luckily, it was the same for Undyne. They'd spend hours just talking into the night, or making love, or both, and it was wonderful - the best kind of insomnia.

Undyne grinned at her, holding up a turkey meatball, and Alphys nodded and leaned forward, chomping down on it hard and making Undyne burst into laughter. 

Alphys swallowed, then sat up and kissed Undyne's lips lightly, her cheeks red. Undyne returned it, and then Alphys returned that. Laughing, they then hugged onto each other and kissed deeply, letting it linger and blossom between them. 

There was a shout, one that startled them both into breaking apart and looking up. From a short distance away, they saw a human staring at them, looking enraged, and they froze. They knew that look well by now: unwelcome, prejudiced hatred. 

Someone else shouted back at the human angrily, telling them to shut up, but then they repeated it, and this time they heard it: "Filthy, disgusting, monster dykes."

Alphys's face went scarlet, furious. She stood up in front of Undyne and snarled, "We're not doing anything wrong!"

"Alphy," Undyne warned, getting to her feet, too, but slowly, cautiously. 

"You exist!" the human spat, stalking towards them. "It's bad enough you're disgusting monsters, but gay, too?! You don't even have a right to exist, already, and then you throw that into the same pot of filth!"

Undyne lost her temper. "Fuck off," she growled. "Why are you even here? Leave us alone."

As she was finishing her last sentence, the human raised their arm, and suddenly both Alphys and Undyne were frozen in place. They held a gun, and it was pointed right at them.

Someone screamed, and then another, before suddenly, the human was practically abandoned, as though the gun had a forcefield keeping them away. The human noticed, snorted, and pulled back the trigger.

"Do us all a favour," they snapped, "and fucking _die!"_

They fired. 

It was aimed at Undyne. They both knew this. Undyne was the bigger target. She even moved to make sure that was the case when she saw that gun. 

But then she felt a kick to the back of her knees from Alphys, and she staggered back - just as she heard Alphys utter a grunt of pain and drop to the ground. 

The moment she was steady, Undyne stared at her, going deaf immediately. Alphys had fallen hard to the ground on her front, and she didn't move. Undyne couldn't see where she'd been hit, but soon, as she watched breathlessly, a small pool of red began to form beneath her. 

She knelt down, starting to breathe again, but in gasps. She leaned over her wife - yes, her _wife_ \- and gently took hold of her, turning her over and pulling her close. "Alphy?" she whispered, her voice tiny, her tears falling free once she realised what she was seeing. "Alphy?!"

Alphys was shot in the chest; there was no doubt of that, especially since the front of her shirt was now red. It bled from the right side, above her breast, and it wouldn't stop bleeding. 

Alphys was trying to stay conscious, but everything was fading fast. It hurt so much, and the more blood she lost, the harder it became to stay awake. But she knew if she fell unconscious, she would fall down. And she couldn't fall down. 

She heard Undyne call for her, and she gritted her teeth, struggling with everything she was to reach up and touch her. She opened her eyes as wide as she could - only halfway - and stared up at her through her tears, reaching her hand up to touch her wife's face. Undyne grabbed it and held it to her cheek - it was ice-cold already - and sobbed. 

The shooter had come closer, and was now aiming the gun for Undyne's head. 

She hadn't noticed, didn't care; Alphys's eyes were dimming, the colour around her irises turning grey slowly, and Undyne sobbed again, even as Alphys tried to speak. 

"S-st-stop... th-them..." she growled out, coughing a little on the words - and feeling something hot come up with it. She choked on it, trying to spit it out, and it ran down her chin. It was blood. 

"Alphy, please?" Undyne whispered, holding her closer. "Alphy, please!"

"St-stop... st-stop th-them... be-before they... g-get... F-Frisk," Alphys begged, before she gasped and closed her eyes, coughing up more blood. 

And that was when the shooter fired again. 

Undyne heard it from far away, and she raised head - only to suddenly slam down into the ground below, the breath knocked right out of her. Her vision went black, before a bright stab of pain lanced into her shoulder. She groaned, reaching up and trying to stop it, while still trying to sit back up. She'd let go of Alphys, and needed to get back to her...

But her body wasn't obeying her. And she was getting angry.

She growled out, reaching out with her other hand, her eye open and focused on her wife - her wife who now seemed so far away from her, who was dying, whose blood kept flowing beneath her...

And inside, she felt something break. It broke open, and it flooded through her veins. With it, she felt a rush of power, of strength and energy, and she clung to it with her mind, letting it consume her. 

Bright blue light encased her, then, blanketing her in its power. She felt it give her the strength she needed, and she felt it return to her - even better than it had been, before. 

She felt _wonderful._

Slowly, she sat up, shaking her shoulder out, and she felt the bullet fall from it and to the ground, useless, now. She grinned, then pushed herself to her feet, noticing from far away that she now wore armour - beautiful, powerful armour. She opened her eye - now pure black - and summoned a spear, holding it out before her, its tip trained right at the human's neck.

The human, still holding the gun, was clearly frightened, now, and didn't move - save their trembling.

"You're gonna have to try a little harder than _that,"_ she snarled. 

Silently, the human dropped the gun and held up their hands. She walked forward, anyway, her black eye on their neck, so eager and ready to slice that head from it...

"Undyne, no!" 

She stopped. She looked up, and Asgore was running towards her, looking panicked. She waited, and when he got to her, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. 

"Don't," he pleaded. "Undyne, don't."

"They deserve to die," she answered. "Their soul is mine."

"Un... Undyne..."

Her eye flared, then, and she jerked away from Asgore, turning around and back towards that voice. She knelt down, and Alphys stared up at her, her eyes so dark, now, and her face pale and almost grey. 

Undyne pulled her close, and Alphys curled up in her arms, limp and light within them. "Undyne," she repeated, her voice a whisper. Undyne held a hand to her chest, over the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. "Undyne... I... I-I..."

"Don't," Undyne pleaded. "Don't say it. Don't!"

"Undyne," Alphys repeated again, ignoring her. "I'm... sorry... I... love... love you... I... I-I wish..."

"Alphy, please," Undyne begged, oblivious to what was going on around her, save Alphys. "Please. Please stop. Don't say goodbye, please, Alphy, please don't!"

Around her, by now, the human had been subdued by security, and they could hear sirens in the distance. Undyne looked up, then looked back down, shaking Alphys gently. "Listen, Alphy!" she cried.

Alphys was quiet, her eyes closing. Then, she whispered, "Help...?"

"Yes," Undyne agreed, sobbing it out. She leaned down and pressed her forehead to Alphys's, holding her so close that her armour was stained with her blood. "Hold on, love, just hold on a bit longer...!"

"Try... trying..." Alphys answered weakly, choking again and bringing up a bit more blood. 

Undyne rocked her slowly, murmuring nonsense to her, and Alphys focused on it, clinging to it, the sounds the only thing keeping her awake - and therefore alive. 

When the paramedics came, Undyne refused to let go of Alphys, even when Asgore or Frisk tried, so they had to work around her. It was difficult, but they managed it, and it was Undyne who laid Alphys down onto the stretcher, and Undyne who helped lift it into the ambulance - which she then jumped into.

By then, Alphys was unconscious, but since she was now getting help, it wasn't as dire as it could have been. As they worked around her, Undyne held Alphys's grey, cold hand tight, her black eye never leaving her face. 

Not even once.


	2. Chapter 2

The moment the ambulance got to the hospital, the emergency staff tried to separate Undyne from Alphys. While she'd been able to calm her left eye's constant bursts of magic, her right was still pure black, and she still wore her armour. She glared at the staff, about to protest, until they said the one thing she couldn't argue with:

"We need to operate on her _now,_ Captain, or she'll die, right here, right now."

Undyne's heart cracked, and she nodded, backing off from Alphys's side - but not before she leaned down and kissed Alphys's cold forehead gently, whispering, "I'll be beside you when you wake up. I promise."

When they took her away, Undyne stood there in the emergency room, rooted to the spot. The adrenaline was fading, being replaced by pure fear, and she couldn't move, trembling.

She also... felt strange. She felt immensely powerful, as though she'd become so much more than she ever had been. When she took the time to try and distract herself, to focus inward, she realised, with shock, that her magic capacity had _doubled_ in her transformation. 

And... what was this transformation? She knew the source of it, but what did this mean? Could she reverse it?

She looked down at herself, holding her hands up. They shook, but they were covered in strong, flawless gloves. In fact, her whole body was clad like that, in the kind of armour she'd only dreamt of. 

She felt invincible. She felt more powerful than Asgore. 

She wanted revenge. 

She wanted to weep

Most of all, she wanted Alphys. 

"Undyne?"

She turned, a spear in her hand before she could even think about it, and her glittering black eye landed on Frisk, who had just run into the ER, Flowey in their backpack and looking strangely focused - not at all his usual haughty self.

"Frisk," she murmured, the spear vanishing. Behind them, Asgore and Toriel finally caught up with them, and Asgore ran up and grabbed Undyne into a hug tight.

She didn't move for a moment, before she suddenly clung to him, trembling. She still couldn't cry, though she desperately wanted to, especially when she realised that Asgore was. 

"What's happened to you?" he rasped out, a hand reaching up and stroking her hair slowly. 

"I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice low. Even her words seemed to be soaked in her power. 

But that was a lie. She damn well knew what had happened to her, almost as well as she knew her own name. She wanted to tell him, but she was terrified of what his reaction would be - especially now, when there were no secrets between any of them anymore.

"Undyne, your magic..." Toriel broke in, her eyes wide. "You've..."

"Yeah," she agreed, pulling away from Asgore. "Is there a way to reverse this?"

Frisk and Flowey were silent, staring at her with eyes that seemed to know everything, and it frightened her. She stared back, shaking her head slightly, and when Frisk's eyes narrowed, she knew that the human knew exactly what had happened - and why she was this way.

"We need to find out what caused it, first, but not now," Toriel answered, her voice clipped. She was in full Queen-mode, now, and suddenly, Undyne was grateful for this. "Now, we need to make sure Alphys survives."

Both Undyne and Asgore flinched, and Frisk lowered their eyes, biting their lip. Flowey, however, rolled his eyes, and suddenly ducked down and disappeared into the backpack. He was clearly tired of all of the emotion in the air, and didn't want to deal with it.

Undyne turned away, looking around for someone, anyone, who knew what was going on. She saw a nurse and made her way towards them, but Asgore stopped her. She was about to protest, but then she caught the nurse's expression upon seeing her: absolute terror. 

Asgore went to talk to the nurse, and Toriel went to Undyne's side, touching her shoulder gently. "Sit down, dear," she suggested, her voice wavering. 

"No," Undyne answered. "I can't. I can't, Toriel. I... I feel... strange." She bit her lip; she'd never been good with words, and wished Papyrus was there to help her, since Alphys could not. 

Asgore touched her other shoulder, startling her. She blinked at him, and his eyes met hers, their duel colours searching her black eye closely. Then, they narrowed, glinting, and she suddenly knew what he was going to say.

Quickly, she interrupted him. "What did the nurse say?"

He glared at her; he damn well knew she was pushing him away, and he didn't like it. But he saw the silent plea upon her face, and he closed his eyes for a moment before he answered. 

"They don't know yet, Undyne," he admitted, and she sagged, her heart aching. "It's still too soon."

"UNDYNE!"

She turned, then ran, and immediately slammed into Papyrus, who was rushing towards her. They hugged hard, and she felt him trembling. One gloved hand reached up and touched her hair, and she closed her eye, biting her lip. She loved him so much, and it was for moments like this: moments in which he never asked questions, but just gave her exactly what she needed, regardless. 

She'd never known, the moment he'd harassed her in the middle of the night, that they would become best friends. But they did, something that strengthened and solidified into something permanent the moment their feet touched the surface. It was he that urged her to propose to Alphys, and he that helped her pick out the ring. She never, ever wanted to lose him.

Behind him, sans walked in slowly, his hands in his pockets and his eyes dim. He looked like he was keeping a great deal of emotion hidden, and he went to Frisk, first.

In a low voice, so that only Frisk heard, he said, "you know?"

Flowey's head popped up and glared at him. "Of course we know," he sneered.

Frisk casually reached back and flicked his forehead, and he squawked and moved to bite them, but they merely did it again, so he vanished back into his backpack.

"Yes," they said softly. "I know."

Toriel's ears flicked, and she went to them. "Know what?" she demanded, her eyes on sans. 

He sighed; there was very little he could - or wanted to - hide from her, but in this instance, he knew he had to. He could tell by the way Undyne held onto his brother for dear life - and he could also tell by what he sensed in her.

"nothin'," he replied, moving away to go to Asgore, instead. Their eyes met, and Asgore nodded slightly, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. 

"All of you are very rude," Toriel growled, her hands on her hips. "How dare you hide information from me, information that could be imperative in helping Alphys!"

"No, no!" Undyne cried suddenly, breaking away from Papyrus and going right to her, grabbing her hand. Toriel froze, her eyes widening, as the moment they touched, she felt a surge of power, one so strong that she was speechless. It was equivalent to that of a boss monster - perhaps even greater. She'd underestimated Undyne's increased capacity a great deal.

"Please, Toriel," Undyne went on, her voice breaking. "Please, don't use her like that against me. Please."

Toriel's expression softened, and she squeezed Undyne's hand, the other touching her cheek gently. Undyne's black eye filled with tears. "I'm sorry, dear," she said, and truly, she was. "Please, tell me what has happened to you."

Papyrus nodded, as he had no idea, either, and Undyne bit her lip, looking frightened. "I don't think we... It's not a good time... We don't have the time to--,"

"Undyne!"

They all turned, and Mettaton stormed over to them, completely in his EX form - and therefore with a face twisted in torment. 

But when he saw her, he stopped, his eyes flaring with shock - before he just dropped into the nearest chair, his hand over his chest. 

"No," he whispered. "Not you. Not you, too."

Undyne flinched. She hadn't known that he knew, and suddenly she realised that she really did have to tell Toriel and Papyrus. 

But first: "Listen, I know I need to explain, but... my wife... Alphy... someone, please...?" She dropped Toriel's hand, her grief like a wave slamming into her, so hard that she swayed. Her vision dimmed around the edges, and her heart raced, as though desperate to break free. "Alphy... Alphy... oh, god... please... I need to know... I-I need... I need _Alphy..."_

Frisk suddenly stood up and walked away, right into the Acute Care Ward, ignoring the protests from the nurses. Flowey popped up and snarled at each one, and they backed off, Frisk disappearing behind the doors. 

But Undyne couldn't stop her panic, now. All she could see was Alphys. All she could feel was her blood, how light she'd been, how dim her eyes were, how soft and weak her voice sounded...

_"Alphy,"_ Undyne sobbed, dropping to the floor hard, lowering down and pressing her forehead to it, her hands digging into her scalp. She couldn't feel the sting of her gloves biting into her skin, couldn't feel the cold of the linoleum, couldn't even see what was before her. All she could see was Alphys. All she could say was her wife's name, over and over, each time losing her hold on her sanity. 

She didn't feel Asgore wrap his arms around her, nor did she feel Papyrus try and pull her to her feet. She didn't even feel the power she was pulling into herself - though her body trembled from it.

It was sans who saw it, first, and his eyes went out in terror. He stood, trembling, even as Toriel tried to talk to him, to get his attention. 

But he saw it. And it was _all_ he saw.

From Undyne's hair slipped what looked like a drop of water. It hit the floor, creating a tiny puddle, almost innocuous. 

But it was not water.

It was the same colour as her hair.

Because that was exactly what it was: part of her hair.

She was starting to melt apart.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark. And cold.

And so, so lonely. 

For so long, it was all there was. 

It was terrifying. 

Then, suddenly, there was a voice.

_"...please... please...! I... I need you...!"_

It was loud. It was sudden and sharp. It was full of terror, of desperation.

But with it came colour, warmth, and comfort. 

It was easy to focus on, even when the darkness kept trying to take over. 

And it did keep trying. Over and over. It even tried to keep that voice away.

But the voice was stronger. And it was starting to get easier to hear.

_"Please, can you hear me? I need you, I need you so much! Come back...! Don't leave me! I'm begging you!"_

Then, the one sentence that brought the light to full:

_"Alphy, my love, come back to me!"_

And suddenly, as though it had always been that easy, Alphys's fingers twitched, and she inhaled slowly, trying to speak.

"Alphy?"

Alphys stirred, swallowing hard. She felt an ache in her chest, and as though she were heavy and weighed down. Deep within her, she felt a warmth, a giddy warmth, one that increased the more she woke up.

"Alphy!'

Suddenly, she felt hands upon her cheeks, familiar hands, and she felt herself smile. She tried to nod, but couldn't; when she tried to speak, something stopped her, something covering her face - and not those beloved hands.

"Oh my god... Oh my god!"

Then, she felt embraced. It hurt her chest, but she didn't care. She concentrated, and she managed to rasp out, her voice strangely muffled, "Un... dyne..."

"Yes, yes, it's me!" Undyne sobbed, kissing her forehead, then her cheeks, then her eyes, before she buried her face into the crook of Alphys's neck, bursting into tears.

It was late into the night. Thanks to Frisk, they'd found out what had happened to Alphys, and how badly she'd fared. 

And it had been bad. During the surgery, Alphys had flatlined, and had started to fade. They'd barely managed to save her in time before she faded - though it had been strange. Any other monster would have crumbled the moment her heart had stopped - but she hadn't. And it was that luck that had saved her life. 

By the time Frisk had come back with the news, Undyne was oddly numb. Slowly, without her own control, she felt her armour fade, then vanish, as though it had never existed. Her shirt beneath still bore the hole in its shoulder, and it was still bloody, but she was unharmed. Her eye, along with her armour, had slowly faded back into its usual yellow - save a thick circle that surrounded her golden iris. It never faded - nor did her magic's capacity. 

With help from Asgore and Papyrus, she'd managed to stagger from the floor to one of the chairs, where she'd hunched over and held her head in her hands, still weeping - but silently.

The moment Frisk ran to her and told her that Alphys was alive, stable, and ready for her to visit, Undyne had leapt from her chair and ran, as fast as she could, to where Frisk had told her Alphys was. 

She didn't notice that, as she ran, one of her feet had left behind a sticky, strange residue upon the floor, as though she'd stepped in paint and only left one footprint behind.

When she'd seen Alphys, she'd almost passed out. Her beloved wife was unconscious, hooked up to an IV of blood, saline, and morphine, a heart monitor attached to her finger. Though she didn't need a ventilator, she needed oxygen, and she had a breathing mask. The sounds of steady oxygen and the slow beating of her heart filled the room, and it hurt Undyne deeply.

When she could, she went to Alphys's side, dropping down into the chair beside her and grabbing her hand, the one free of the IV. It was cold, and there was no reaction from Alphys.

It terrified Undyne, and she started to panic.

It was that panic that had called Alphys back to her.

"Undyne..." Alphys whispered again, her breath fogging the mask, but not enough to obscure the small smile upon her lips. "Y-you... y-you... s-safe...? N-not...?" 

She winced, the smile vanishing, and Undyne jumped back, her gut clenching in fear; she could tell it was from pain, and knew it had been her embrace that had caused it. She sat back down, but grabbed Alphys's hand again and held it to her cheek, closing her eye. 

Alphys swallowed hard, her eyelids flickering, and after a moment, she tried again. "Not... h-hurt?"

"I'm fine, Alphy," Undyne agreed, tears running down her cheek. Alphys could feel them, and her fingers twitched, then gently closed around the curve of her cheek. "I'm safe."

Alphys smiled faintly, but it was brief. She was starting to remember snippets of what had happened, and she felt her heart ache, then start to race. 

"N-no," she whispered. Undyne looked up, confused. "Un-Undyne... it... it-it hap-happened...?"

Undyne hesitated. She could hear Alphys's heartrate increase, and it alarmed her. And yet she knew exactly why - and what she meant. 

"Undyne," Alphys whispered, her fingers twitching again. She wished she could open her eyes, but they felt so heavy, and already, she felt so tired. "T-tell... th-the... tr-tru-truth..."

Undyne sighed, closing her eye again. "Yes," she murmured. "It happened. It's what saved us both. You were right, Alphy."

Alphys, however, didn't look happy. She looked... scared. She focused as best as she could, and when she managed, she could sense Undyne's magic - and how strong it had become. Her hand started to tremble, and her heartrate increased again. 

"Alphy?" Undyne said, leaning closer to her, worried, now. 

"I-I'm... s-sorry..." she whispered, her voice tiny and breaking. "I'm s-sorry..."

"No, no," Undyne interrupted, kissing her hand gently and holding it tightly between her own, against her chest. "Alphy, you saved us. That risk saved us. It's okay, love. It worked. Just like you said it would, in small doses, in a healthy monster."

Alphys shook her head. She could feel it, whenever Undyne touched her: a dampness upon her skin, as though she were sweaty, or fresh from a shower. And she knew what it meant.

"No..." she cried, her voice soaked in pain. "No, n-not you... not you, t-too... Undyne..." She choked, then sobbed, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "No... please, no..."

It was then that an alarm went off. Undyne's head jerked up, her eye going to the heart monitor, and it was flashing red, its tinny siren loud. "Alphy, calm down," she begged, reaching down and stroking her forehead slowly. It was cold.

But Alphys couldn't talk, now. She was having trouble steadying her breath, and her chest was starting to ache sharply. Her other hand fumbled, reaching up to her wound as though to stop it, but her mind was flooded with nightmarish images, and she couldn't concentrate. 

Suddenly, two nurses rushed into the room, and Undyne jumped, startled. One nurse went to Alphys's medication, while the other went to her other side, taking hold of her hand and pulling it away from her chest.

"What's happening?" Undyne demanded, panic making her voice sharp.

"She's going into shock," the first nurse said tersely. "You need to leave. Now."

"No!" Undyne cried. "I can't leave her, she's my wife! She needs me!"

"Captain," the second nurse said, his voice gentler than the first. "You don't want to see this--,"

The alarm started to get louder, and suddenly, Alphys started to gasp - then choke. Her hand jerked out of Undyne's, and to her horror, she started to seize. 

"Alphy!" Undyne cried, trying to get closer, but the second nurse went to her and tried to pull her back.

But he wasn't strong enough. No one was, now. And when Alphys started to seize completely, more nurses had to be called in to hold her down as they tried to stop it. 

And Alphys's mind was gone, back in the dark, and alone.

Undyne didn't remember much of what happened next. She went into a shock of her own, and she started screaming Alphys's name, trying to get her back, tugging on her jerking arm and begging her to come back.

But it didn't work. 

And Undyne's eye went black. 

She screamed, wordless this time, and with that scream flared her magic. Her left eye blazed, and she fought the second - then third, fourth, and fifth - nurse, as they struggled to pull her away. 

But they weren't strong enough. 

Only one thing was stronger, and it wasn't magic. 

She felt a sharp sting in her neck, and she shouted obscenities, knowing exactly what it was, even before it started to take effect. She fought it, as hard as she could, with everything she had, and for a moment, it worked: she pushed it away, and struggled to get free.

But then there was a second sting, and suddenly, she had no voice. It stopped in mid-scream, and her eyes flared with panic, still fighting as hard as she could.

"No...!" she growled out weakly, her vision dimming, reaching out with a trembling hand, her ears flooded with the sound of that alarm. "Alphy! _Alphy!!"_

Then she, too, was alone in the dark.


	4. Chapter 4

When Undyne awoke, it was with a start and a gasp, her hands reaching out - her mind still flooded with images of Alphys, of trying to reach her, of trying to help her...

She felt someone take hold of her hands gently, and she heard a soft, kind voice say, "Easy, Undyne... breathe slowly..."

She closed her eye and relaxed her hands, that voice so familiar that she went right back to her default whenever she heard it: immediate attention and compliance. Her heart raced, and though she knew she should feel tired, she didn't; she felt full of energy, eager to get up and run, as fast as she could, if it meant reaching her wife...

"There we go," that voice murmured, and one of her hands was let go, so that her hair could be stroked away from her face. "That's my girl."

"Asgore..." she whispered, her fingers tightening on his. She felt herself trembling, her body warring with strong power and intense exhaustion. "Asgore, what...? Where...?" 

"Shh," he urged gently, and she went quiet. "Undyne, listen to me. I need you to listen to me. Can you open your eye?"

Undyne nodded and did so. Her vision was blurry, but the longer she kept it open, the more it cleared up. Asgore looked down at her, his face openly concerned - and, she realised with a jolt, scared. 

"Undyne, I need you to be honest with me about something, before we discuss anything else," he went on, looking uncomfortable just saying that. He held her hand to his chest, the other still in her hair, and he then asked, his voice small, "Are you injected with DT, Undyne?"

Undyne stared at him, her eye flaring and her mouth opening, but with no sound coming out. Her hand tightened around his, and her other hand - one, she saw, that was fitted with an IV port - clenched into the sheets beneath her. 

Then, she closed her mouth, and nodded. 

Asgore shut his eyes tight, lowering his head. "Yes," he said, his voice almost tiny, now. "Yes, I should have known. I should have seen it sooner, but... perhaps I was lying to myself..."

Undyne bit her lip, then said, "It's... not bad. It wasn't decided lightly. Alphy and I, we... when we both decided to test it--,"

Asgore's head jerked up, his eyes wide. "Both?" he repeated, his voice cracking. _"Both?!"_

Undyne nodded. "Y-yeah. She'd already... before me... we... it was..." She stammered, her mind filled with that one month, her eye unfocused and confused. "Alphy was scared... and... and-and..."

"Undyne," Asgore broke in gently, his voice carefully calm. "I need you to start from the beginning, okay? Otherwise, I cannot help you. Either of you."

Undyne was speechless for a moment, fear lancing her so hard that her eye filled with tears. "Alphy... is she... is she...?"

"No," he replied, stroking her hair again slowly. "She's alive. She's critical right now, but she's alive."

Undyne nodded, for a moment speechless with grief. She closed her eye tight, gritting her teeth and trying to calm herself down, but for a moment, she was overcome with that grief, and she couldn't. 

"She's alright, Undyne. She's alright," Asgore added softly. He could see the pain in his daughter's face, her pain so intense that he felt it, too. He loved Alphys, too, and had been terrified of what had happened - especially later, when she went into shock, and had flatlined again before they'd stabilised her, and once again survived it without turning to dust... Even he wasn't allowed to see her, yet. He couldn't imagine how terrible Undyne felt. 

"Dad..." she whispered, her voice cracking. He nodded, leaning closer, and she opened her eye again slowly. "Alphy... she's my life... she's my world..."

"I know," he agreed gently. "But if you want to help her - and yourself - I need to know how this happened." He felt a sinking in his belly, then, especially when he registered how damp her skin felt, and how sickly she looked, despite clearly feeling strong. 

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay. I... I'll tell you everything..."

Asgore leaned closer, and in that small, pained voice, she told him.

* * *

"Holy _shit."_

Alphys winced, nodding, her hands clenched to her chest. She was shaking, refusing to look up in her shame, and with every word she'd spoken, her voice had grown smaller and smaller, until the last words were said in a whisper.

Undyne's words were loud in comparison, especially within the relatively-empty Lab, but she couldn't help herself. She'd had no idea, and Alphys had kept it secret for _months._ Only now, when they'd grown closer, did Alphys confess - and to Undyne, with the most shame.

Undyne could see it, and she leaned forward and cupped her palm around her pale cheek, stroking it gently. Alphys looked up, her eyes dark and full, only to find calm and open understanding within Undyne's. 

"Hey," she said softly. "You did what you could. No one else could've done it. You did everything you could. You _tried,_ Alphys. I know you did."

Alphys bit her lip, then lunged forward and hugged her, so tightly that she coughed a little. "Undyne," she sobbed out, burying her face into her shoulder. Undyne nodded, hugging her back, and Alphys choked, unable to continue. 

It was months before Frisk would fall, and over this time, the two had grown close. It was Alphys that insisted on explaining the true nature of her experiments, something that surprised Undyne - and yet also explained a great deal. 

But by then, Undyne was so in love with her that she didn't care what the reason was; she just wanted to support her. 

The thing was, that was why Alphys had confessed: because she was in love with Undyne, so deeply that - later on, when they were together - she admitted that, in that moment of acceptance, Alphys had almost kissed her. And Undyne had laughed, and admitted that she'd wished she had.

When she was calm, she pulled away, blushing and keeping her face averted, using her sleeves to clean her face. Undyne smiled a little; it was actually rather cute. "Th-thank you," Alphys whispered. Undyne took her hand and squeezed it, and she returned the squeeze gratefully.

It was then, however, that Undyne had the idea, the one that she'd end up both loving and loathing.

"Alphys," she said, blinking. "What if you used that stuff on healthy monsters? And only in small doses?"

Alphys looked up quickly, her face draining of blood. "I-I... I've never... af-after what happened, I... I gave it up."

Undyne grinned, holding Alphys's hand between hers eagerly. "Alphys! What if we tested it? What if we tried it, ourselves?"

Alphys gaped at her, speechless. She couldn't speak, because the fact was, she'd already thought of that, and... and...

"What if you tried it on me?" Undyne went on, her eye gleaming. "I bet it would be amazing! What if you used small doses, only one at a time, and only...?" She considered. "Three?"

"Undyne..." Alphys managed, but Undyne cut her off.

"I'm a warrior, Alphy!" she said, the nickname slipping out in her excitement, and Alphys suddenly went pink. "I bet you it would make me better, make me stronger!"

"Undyne," Alphys repeated, holding her other hand up to stop her. "I... I n-need to..." She winced. "I... I've..."

Undyne blinked at her, and she closed her eyes and blurted it out: "I've already injected myself. Once."

That was the last thing Undyne had expected, and she was the one struck speechless, this time. 

"Wh-when I was testing it on the others, I... I injected myself once, to see if it made a difference," Alphys went on, her words tumbling out, now. "By then, I'd only given one dose to the others, and was upset that there were no results, so I tried it, and-and... it made me sick... r-really sick... for almost three days..."

"Holy shit," Undyne breathed out. Alphys nodded, looking down. "Holy shit, Alphys... Why didn't you tell me?"

Alphys bit her lip, hesitating. "Be-because... it was... it was before I met you."

Undyne bit her lip, her gut clenching. She hated to think about that - that, in another life, she and Alphys had never met, because Alphys would have succumbed to her own folly. It made her shiver, and she shoved it from her mind. She was here, now, and it would never happen again. Not so long as she remained here, at Alphys's side.

"So... what happened to you?" she asked instead, unable to hide the waver in her voice. 

Alphys hesitated again, then said, "Undyne, I... it's okay. We-we don't need to get into th--,"

"Yes, we do," Undyne interrupted sharply. "I want to try this, so I need to know how it affected you."

"M-maybe we shouldn't--,"

"Alphys."

She looked up at that, her eyes meeting Undyne's, and she bit her lip - then nodded. 

"I... was..." She shut her eyes, and once again dissolved into her lecture mode, her words fast and soft, but clear. "For the first few hours, I was actually fine, you know? It felt really good, like coffee and morphine all in one go. I felt amazing, and I managed to do so much in those few hours." She smiled wryly. "I even sang. I felt happy."

Undyne nodded, rubbing her hand, and after a pause, Alphys went on, her smile vanishing. "Then... then... I remember feeling overheated, so I thought I was just working myself to much. I went to sit down at my desk, you know? And I even managed to update my profile, in that brief moment..."

Undyne frowned, then jumped, her eye flaring. She remembered; she'd been following Alphys for months online by then, curious because of how Asgore spoke of her, as well as pure interest based on what she wrote. And she suddenly remembered one update that was so weird, so strange, that she never forgot.

_"Everything is nothing, nothing is everything, and I can see and touch it all. I feel drunk off of it, and I never want to get sober. Keep filling my glass, until I know nothing else."_

"Oh my god," Undyne whispered, and Alphys nodded, her eyes lowered. 

"After that... after that..." Alphys winced. "I... d-don't remember much. I remember suddenly feeling nauseated, and I scrambled up to throw up in the wastebasket..." Her eyes darkened. "Then, I remember nothing but that heat, and... pain. I don't even remember falling down onto the floor, but I did, because that's where I woke up, almost two days later..."

Undyne stared at her, speechless. She was pale, and her hands shook as they held Alphys's between them. It was much worse than she'd expected. 

"And-and when I did..." Alphys sighed, rubbing her forehead slowly, her eyes shut. "I woke up in hell. I was so sore, so weak... But... but when I moved, it-it was easy. I got up, I went upstairs, I even cleaned up, got changed, because I'd..." She blushed. "Well. I needed to. And then I just... went to bed, and fell asleep."

Undyne was still speechless, so Alphys concluded quickly. "After that, when I woke up, I felt... fine. Like I'd never been sick. I felt like I'd never been on the floor for almost two days..." That wry smile was back. "And that's when I decided: I needed to keep using it, to keep injecting the others, until they, too, woke up, and felt normal and better, again."

She raised her head finally. "And even though they fell back down, and became nightmares, I never did. Truly, I felt like nothing changed within me. I just felt like I had a bit more stamina, and that was it. And then I forgot about it, because the others..." Her eyes wavered. "And-and I decided to..."

Undyne nodded. "And then we met," she finished. 

Alphys nodded in return, silent, now. 

"God, Alphy," Undyne whispered. "No wonder you don't wanna do this."

Alphys bit her lip, her eyes glinting. "So... so then... you've changed your mind? You won't?"

Undyne hesitated. She honestly felt, with this added revelation, that she needed to try it even more. And when she thought that, Alphys's face fell; she could clearly see it, too. 

"You will," Alphys corrected. "Al-alright." She stood up, and when Undyne didn't let go of her hand, she tugged on it gently, so that Undyne followed. "Let's go."

* * *

"And... after that," Undyne concluded softly, "I went back. The first shot worked like it did for her, and I wanted more results. So I went back - in a week, she begged me to wait that long - and got a second shot. When that worked, we waited another, and the third... the third was it." 

Asgore was staring at her, openly weeping, now, and speechless from both shock and grief. 

"And that's when I felt the results," Undyne admitted. "We stopped, then. When I woke up, I felt amazing, Dad... like I could kick your ass and Gerson's at the same time, and still have time to kick Aaron's - maybe even sans's, too."

Asgore swallowed hard. "So, when you got shot, you used that power, and became..."

"This," Undyne agreed, waving at her eyes; the left sometimes glittered, still, while the right was still ringed with midnight black.

Then, she smiled sadly. "I fucked up, didn't I, Dad? I'm... it's happening, isn't it? I'm falling down, just like them, no matter how hard I try to keep myself together..."

Asgore shut his eyes, then, lowering his head. 

"Alphy..." Undyne whispered, her eye staring up at the ceiling. "I... I'll never get to marry her, will I? I'm... gonna die..."

Hearing herself say it brought a fresh lance of pain to her chest, and she shut her eye tight. "I'm gonna die... I'm gonna melt, first... then... th-then..." Her voice broke. "Fuck!" she concluded, breaking down into tears, then. 

She felt Asgore take hold of her gently, and she clung to him, her sobs taking her over, now. All she could see, now, was Alphys - and feel the reality that she'd have to leave her behind, break her heart, and possibly... possibly, without Undyne there to stop her...

And it broke her heart, too.


	5. Chapter 5

When Alphys awoke again, she wasn't greeted with the sight of her wife, which was what she'd actually longed and hoped for, once she felt herself waking up. 

No, the hand she felt holding hers was only slightly familiar, and it made her nervous.

It was sans.

"you wakin' up, doc?" he asked her softly, proving her right. She stirred, feeling exhausted and sore, and she tried to nod, her fingers twitching in his a little. "can you open your eyes?"

Alphys sighed deeply in frustration. She tried, very hard, to do so, but only managed to open them a little before the overhead lights blinded her, and she made a soft sound in reply, a mix between a growl and a whine of that frustration.

She then heard sans get up for a moment, then a click. "try now," he added. She did, and found the room nowhere near as bright, and she sighed in relief, opening them completely. She turned to sans, who was now holding her hand, and she squeezed it again gratefully.

"sup," he greeted, and she smiled. 

"Un... Undyne?" she asked softly, her voice once again muffled by a breathing mask. She didn't remember much; only that she and Undyne had been talking, and something made her hurt, then--

She gasped, her eyes flaring, and she struggled to get up, trying to grab hold of the bed's siderail to pull her up.

sans stood up and gently pushed her back down, and she found herself falling back down, gasping and shutting her eyes. 

"nope," he said softly. "you can't get up, doc. you're way too weak, even with determination."

She froze, her eyes opening and meeting his with shock. "I..." she squeaked out, trying to defend herself - to lie, really. "I-I'm n-not--,"

sans scowled at her, and she shut right up. There was no point, she realised. He knew. He definitely knew. 

"you are, and so is the captain," he answered sharply. "nice try, but nope."

"Fuck," she whispered, closing her eyes and lying back. She heard him chuckle softly. He took her hand again and held it tight. 

"yep," he agreed. 

"sans..." Alphys turned back to him, her heart speeding up with fear. She focused, and saw that while he sounded jovial and amused, his expression was grim, and his eyes were dim. "Undyne... Undyne n-needs... she needs help... she-she's... f-forget about me, I'm fine, where...?"

sans squeezed her hand again. "chill out for a sec," he answered. "first of all, you do need help. second of all, yeah, undyne does, too. but she can't get it here, alphys. and you know it. she needs you to help her, and you can't help her if you keep flatlining, got it?"

Alphys stared at him. "I-I... I keep... wh-what?" 

sans sighed again, then hurriedly explained what had happened to her, both times. When he was done, she was shaking her head, both in denial - and a secret plea that he was lying to her. But when she searched his gaze, even without her glasses, she knew it was true.

"No," she murmured, still shaking her head. "No...?"

He patted her hand, almost kindly. "sorry, doc, but yeah."

Alphys closed her eyes, her other hand going to her chest. It didn't hurt, as she could tell she was being given very strong intravenous meds. Rather, she did it, so that she could try to reverse it all. She could feel it: strength in her blood, coursing through her, even when her body was at its weakest. She knew it was what had saved her. 

But she started to cry, then, because she realised that, while it saved her, it was going to kill Undyne. She knew, because she'd felt it when she'd touched her. And now, she wished she were dead, instead.

"doc," sans then said, raising his voice to get her attention. It cut through her grief, and she opened her eyes again slowly, unable to stop her tears. "i know it seems like everything is completely fucked over, now..."

Alphys sobbed, nodding. She dug her claws into her chest, and sans stood up and grabbed it, pulling it away. She was too weak to fight him, so she let it drop. 

"but this isn't over. not even close."

Alphys looked up at him again, confused. "H-how?" she rasped out. "How isn't i-it? I-I... I've..." Her voice broke. "I've killed her!"

"nope," sans answered, his voice strangely sharp for so casual a word. "stop it. alphys!"

She winced; she'd reached up to dig her claws back into her chest, but his voice made it drop again. 

"if you give up, now, then yeah, it's over," sans continued. She stared at him, trying to bring his words deep into her heart, to actually _listen._ "undyne is dead the moment you give up. but if you keep fighting, alphys, then she'll not only live - but survive. and you want that, don't you?"

"Yes!" Alphys sobbed out. "Of course I do! I just want... I just want...!"

"right. you wanna marry her. you wanna make her happy."

Alphys nodded, biting her lip. 

"do you know what tomorrow is?"

Alphys closed her eyes tight. "Y-yes," she agreed, "it-it's the day... it's when we're supposed to..."

"get married," sans finished, and she nodded again. "well, you aren't. but if you're smart, and actually work to what you want, this time next year will be the day you get married."

Alphys sniffled. 

"and that can't happen if you give up!" he finished. She looked at him, and saw that his eyes were so dim that it frightened her. "if you give up, you're a widow before you're even married! got it?"

"B-but how?" Alphys whispered. "I-I've never been able to f-fine a cure, sans. Ever."

"well, now you have to," he answered. "otherwise, you'll lose way more than your damned job and reputation."

"Undyne is... she's m-my life, sans," she murmured. "She'd the reason I-I'm even still alive... she-she saved my life, sans!"

"i know," he agreed. "so now's the time to return the favour."

Alphys nodded another time.

"i'm gonna grab your doctor," he said after a moment. "and i'm gonna ask them to do me a huge favour. you okay alone?"

"Y-yeah," she agreed. 

"cool." He squeezed her hand again, then stood up and left without another word. 

Alphys turned her head and stared up at the ceiling, her tears returning - and worse than before. She tangled her fingers together and succumbed to them, knowing that nothing could cure them.

But she was wrong - and sans ended up getting what he wanted. And in turn, so did Alphys.

* * *

"What?!" 

Undyne jumped, trying to sit up, and Asgore moved to stop her. She stared at the doctor, her eye wide and her hands tangled in her sheets, but the doctor merely nodded.

"Yes. Give us about ten minutes, and it'll be done."

"Yes!" Undyne cried, smiling so wide that her cheeks hurt. "Can I leave, then? Can I leave?!"

"No," the doctor replied, disappointing her. "You still need time to recover, as well as need to have some tests done. But we can do this for you, at least."

"Yes!" Undyne repeated, nodding. "Please! Please?"

"It's already done."

Undyne dropped back down and laughed, so hard that she sobbed, too. Asgore smiled faintly, first at the doctor, then at her.

It was a good idea - and he was glad it was happening.

* * *

When the door opened, Alphys had been dozing lightly, the medication as well as her exhaustion catching up with her. But she jolted awake when it opened - only to try and sit up, squeaking, her voice choking up. 

"Alphys, lie down, now," her doctor snapped, even as he led the nurses into the room - nurses who were gently wheeling Undyne into her room. She didn't listen, at first, instead reaching out, but the doctor added that he'd sedate her if she didn't. And that was the last thing she wanted, now.

"Alphy!" Undyne chirped, her own voice breaking. Alphys nodded, and the moment they'd brought the two beds close enough, they grabbed hold of each other's hands tight. As they moved to set Undyne's medications up, neither noticed, having eyes only for each other. A thousand words were exchanged in that gaze: regret, sorrow, fear, but also relief and happiness.

And love. That had never died down. 

Undyne pulled Alphys's hand to her, kissing her palm, and Alphys closed her eyes, sobbing softly. More words were exchanged in that gesture, words that Undyne knew Alphys needed - and words that Undyne happily gave. 

The doctor was speaking, but they barely listened. They only listened to those words unspoken between them, words louder than anything anyone else could say. 

The best medicine of all.


	6. Chapter 6

The moment they were alone, the first thing Undyne did was, honestly, rather predictable. She grabbed hold of Alphys's bedrails, pulled her bed right up against her own, and then lowered those rails. 

Alphys was startled for maybe a few seconds, as the moment she turned on her side towards Undyne, she found herself embraced in her arms, so gently and with so much tenderness that Alphys shut her eyes and uttered a sob, clinging onto her tight. 

Undyne wasn't long after her when she heard that sob. She shut her eye and buried her face into Alphys's shoulder carefully, and she whispered, “Alphy...”

“Undyne,” Alphys sobbed out, her voice hoarse and breaking. At least it wasn't muffled anymore; they'd given her an oxygen tube to hook into her nose, as she was doing well enough to not need the mask. (though the doctor stressed that it was possible that could change, depending on how she was healing.) 

Wordlessly, Undyne pulled back, just a little, and cupped Alphys's face between her hands. She wanted to say so much at that moment, but suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt hurt and anger bubble up, and she cried, “Alphy, why did you do it?!”

Alphys stared at her, shocked. She was confused, and when she tried to speak, nothing came out. 

Undyne suddenly felt tears fill her eye, and a lump form in her throat. The fact that Alphys looked bewildered at all only made Undyne feel even more hurt and anger.

“Why did you do it?!” she repeated, her voice now strained, and it broke. _”Why did you do it?!”_

“I-I...” Alphys stammered, shaking her head. Her hands went up and covered Undyne's. “I'm s-sorry, b-but... I don't know...? Wh-what did I do? Wh-why are you angry? What did I do?!”

And then _her_ voice broke, her own eyes filling with tears. It was too much; the pain of the whole thing, the emotional upheaval of what she faced and stood to lose, the fact that Undyne was angry when all she wanted was to make her happy...

Undyne saw those tears and immediately felt guilty, because with them, she realised that Alphys had no clue why Undyne was upset. And that made it even worse, really. Because it meant that Alphys had done it with so little regard or care to herself that it was instinctive; doing it was innate for her.

Undyne leaned down and pressed her forehead to Alphys's, and Alphys closed her eyes and choked, trying to bite back another sob. Her claws dug into Undyne's arms, and she trembled. 

“Alphy,” Undyne then whispered, closing her eye, too. “Why did you take the bullet? Why did you kick me away?”

Immediately, Alphys winced and moved to jerk away, her eyes closing tight before she lowered her head. Undyne knew her so well by now that she knew what this meant: Alphys wanted to run away, especially if it meant avoiding answering the question. But since she couldn't (both were hooked up to IVs and vital monitors by now), Undyne knew her next step would be to hide.

Therefore, before she could, Undyne took hold of her hands and pulled her closer, as gently as possible. Alphys squirmed and tugged on her hands, shaking her head, but even in her own weakened state, Undyne was stronger, and managed to pull her as close as possible. When she was in Undyne's arms, she shuddered, hiding her face in her hands and curling up, wrapping her tail around her legs. 

She was silent. She didn't want to answer. She knew that if she did, it would only hurt Undyne, and make things worse. 

But Undyne was incredibly stubborn, so while she allowed Alphys to hide a little, she curled up with her and asked her again, still whispering. Alphys shook her head again, still shivering, but then, Undyne added, “Please, love,” and her resolve shattered.

“I...” she croaked out, her voice so soft that anyone else would've missed it, but Undyne's hearing was too good to miss it. “I-I... I kn-knew, wh-when it...” She stopped, shaking her head. “Please, Undyne, I don't... want you to get angry with me...”

_Oh._

But Undyne curled around her closer and nuzzled her cheek, even though she felt her heart aching. “Tell me. I won't be angry.”

Alphys hesitated, taking a shaky breath. “Undyne,” she whispered, her face still hidden behind her hands. “When it comes down to it... When it comes to the two of us... The-the world - Frisk, Asgore, _everyone..._ Th-they need you m-more than... than m-me...”

Undyne gritted her teeth, shutting her eye tight. She'd been right; it was exactly what she'd feared, what she'd never wanted: the fact that Alphys still saw herself as expendable – and always had.

Alphys then uttered a tiny sob, betraying her tears, and Undyne gathered her closer, as closely as possible. She wished she could just scoop her up into her lap, but the wires and monitors prevented any of that. 

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered. “I know you think you're less than all of us. I've always known.”

Alphys winced; she hadn't known that Undyne knew. She'd always thought she'd kept that secret, enough. Clearly, she wasn't as good a liar as she'd thought – or perhaps she'd merely underestimated Undyne's understanding of her. Either way, it hurt.

“I know you think that your past makes you less than us,” Undyne whispered, the words like acid in her mouth. She hated even thinking them, let alone saying them. “And I know, every time someone sends you a letter – and a death threat--,”

Alphys's hands jerked away, looking up at Undyne in shock. “H-how did you-? Wh-when did y-you-? I-I thought I'd-?”

Undyne touched a finger to her lips, silencing her. “Oh, love,” she whispered. “I know. But I don't need to see them to know you get them. I see it in your eyes. And...” Her hand dropped. “I see that darkness grow stronger with each letter, that cloud that threatens to consume you...” Undyne's voice cracked. “…and... and take you away from me...”

“No!” Alphys cried. “I'd never leave you!”

“Not physically, maybe, but, Alphy, I can see how it eats away at you. And you take every word to heart, when it's nothing but damned lies.” Undyne winced. “Those lies are taking you away from me. And... and they... they almost did for real, because they made you think... you deserved to be shot to death...”

Alphys opened her mouth to respond, but Undyne suddenly burst into tears. They were tears she'd never seen her make before, even in their friendship. They were broken, high-pitched and incoherent, and they wracked Undyne's body with their violence. Undyne pulled away and curled forward onto herself, hugging herself and trying to stop, but all she did was make herself cry harder. Alphys had never seen her cry like that, and it scared her, because she didn't know how to comfort her – because she knew, without a doubt, that she was the cause.

Then, Undyne cried, “You don't, Alphy! You never have, and never will! Even if... even if I melt into a puddle and die, I don't care! If it means you live, if it means you're saved and alive...! I don't fucking care! You don't deserve to die, Alphy! _You don't deserve to die, Alphy!!”_

Alphys couldn't speak, then, because she knew her words were useless. Instead, she moved closer and hugged Undyne as hard as possible, even when she felt pain lance her chest. She didn't care; Undyne's pain hurt her more.

Undyne hesitated, then grabbed hold of her, sobbing so hard that they both shook. She wrapped her arms around Alphys's waist and held tight, burying her tear-streaked face into her left shoulder, as far away from her wound as possible. Alphys held her close, stroking her hair slowly, feeling her own tears claw themselves from her wounded heart and escape her.   
And for a long time, there could only be that: deep, unbearable, and confused grief.


	7. Chapter 7

For a while, once their tears had faded, both women were quiet, intent on focusing on each other's breathing and heartbeats. They were both soothed immensely by those sounds, as they meant that they were both alive, and safe. They held each other for a long time, and soon, Undyne wondered if Alphys had fallen asleep again, she was so quiet. 

So she whispered, “I love you, Alphy.”

At that, she suddenly felt Alphys grab hold of her tighter, and she realised that Alphys hadn't fallen asleep, after all. It became more apparent when Alphys whispered into Undyne's chest, “I love you, Undyne.”

Undyne smiled, biting her lip and closing her eye for a moment, those words punching her in the heart. She loved hearing them from Alphys, and never tired of hearing them, no matter how often Alphys said them – and she said them often, sometimes more than once in the same conversation. Each time, Undyne felt them physically as well as emotionally, and each time, she felt her own love for Alphys grow. She never understood people who got tired of hearing their lovers say that phrase, or claim it lost meaning the more times it was said. For Undyne – and Alphys, she'd find out later – there could never be a limit. Ever.

Her heart suddenly ached, though, with her next thought, and with a sinking in her gut, she said, her voice breaking, “Alphy... how... how long do you think I have before... before I die?”

Alphys stiffened in her arms, her eyes snapping open and her face paling. She dug her claws into Undyne's back and shook her head, her voice choked by her tears, but she managed to gasp out, _”Years!_ You're not going to die, not now, not any time soon, Undyne!”

Undyne winced. She appreciated the sentiment, but she knew it was just that: sentiment, fancy, a wish. “Alphy... be serious.”

“I am, dammit!” Alphys cried, surprising Undyne. Alphys then jerked away, wincing when it hurt her chest, but she glared up at Undyne, her eyes glinting – before they blazed. “I'm as serious as I've ever been! You are _not going to die!_ I won't let you!!”

“But, Alphy... we both know what's gonna happen--,”

“Shut up!” Alphys answered, the words like a slap; Undyne even jerked back in shock. “Shut up now, Undyne! It's not! I did this to you, and I'm going to fix you! If I fail...” She gritted her teeth, then growled out, “If I fail, I'm still not going to leave you!!”

“Alphy...” Undyne smiled weakly. “You can't even marry me... I don't think my wedding dress will fit once I'm a puddle...”

Alphys flinched, the exact opposite of what Undyne wanted - she'd wanted a smile. But she didn't understand that those words were like poison to Alphys, because it was her greatest fear.

“Undyne,” she snapped again, grabbing hold of her face so hard that again, Undyne was speechless, her eye widening. “You're not going to die, and you're not going to melt.” The words tasted bitter, though, as when she touched Undyne's face, she could feel its dampness, still. “I'm going to save you, Undyne.”

Undyne's eye filled with tears, then, and her face fell. “But, Alphy... you've never been able to...”

“I know,” Alphys answered. “But this time is different. This time, it's going to work. It's going to happen. I’m going to find a cure, if it's the last thing I do, dammit! And if I fail... if I fail...” Her eyes went so hard, so determined, that Undyne was spellbound. “Then I fail alongside you.”

“No--!” Undyne protested.

“No!” Alphys echoed, furious. “This is my fault, my mistake, my failure! If I lose you, Undyne, I don't want to live, period! I wouldn't be able to! I don't want to, Undyne! Never! _Never!!”_

Undyne's eye flared, then, and not just from understanding; Alphys's heartrate had gone up, and was close to setting the alarm off. She could even feel, through Alphys's hands, her body start to tremor, and she felt panic sweep through her. She knew if Alphys went into shock again, it would unlikely be something she'd survive, as the first two times had weakened her heart so much, already, even with DT...

“Alphy,” Undyne murmured, leaning forward and pressing her forehead to hers. Alphys still trembled, so much that even her lips quivered. “Alphy, calm down... calm down... I need you to slow down...”

Alphys opened her mouth to say something caustic, but she then saw the barely held-back terror in Undyne's eye, and the words vanished. In that silence, she heard what Undyne did, and shut her mouth, her own eyes glinting in fear. 

But she couldn't help it; all she could see was Undyne dying, a slow, tortured death that she'd caused, all from her own hubris, even when all she'd wanted to do was help...

Undyne reached up and touched her face, and Alphys grabbed onto her forearms, her teeth chattering as she tried to calm down – especially since, now, she was feeling a stinging in her chest. 

“Shh,” Undyne whispered, rubbing her pale, cold cheeks slowly, and Alphys shut her eyes and concentrated on Undyne's voice. “I'm here, Alphy... I'm right here, Alphy...”

Alphys whimpered softly at that, the words hitting her deeply. She nodded, starting to slow down her breathing, and she felt Undyne kiss the tip of her nose. 

“That's it, my love,” Undyne murmured. “That's my Alphy...”

“Y-yes,” Alphys sobbed out. “I'm y-yours, Undyne... I'm yours...”

“And I'm yours, Alphy,” Undyne replied, smiling and kissing her nose again. 

“You de-deserve better...” Alphys answered, her voice wavering. 

“I deserve the best,” Undyne agreed. “And you're the best for me, Alphy.”

Alphys was speechless, then. She sobbed, but still focused on steadying her breathing, and each time they heard Alphys's heartrate get steadier, Undyne kissed Alphys's nose softly. 

When it was finally at a pace that was safe, Undyne shivered with relief. She'd been barely able to stay calm through it all, but had just managed it. She closed her eye, her banked tears finally breaking loose, and she leaned down and kissed Alphys's lips, not just once, but over and over, rubbing her cheeks again slowly.

Alphys returned each one, still crying, herself, and at that, Undyne kissed her again and let it linger, slipping her arms down and wrapping them around her waist, pulling her close. Alphys clung back onto her, kissing back, and for a pocket of time, there was this: this soothing, gentle kissing. 

When they both felt warm again, their blood heating up and thawing out their terror, Undyne gently pulled away, but stayed close. Alphys buried her face into her chest, sniffling, and Undyne held her close, rubbing her back slowly and carefully.

“I'm going to save you, Undyne,” Alphys whispered, her words slurred together. Surprised, Undyne looked down and found her barely awake. “I'm going to save you. I promise... I promise... I... I-I...”

“Shh,” Undyne whispered, kissing her forehead and closing her eye. “Sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up, my love.” She smiled. “And then, we can start working on fixing me.”

“Yes,” Alphys agreed, feeling heavy in Undyne's embrace. “I'll save you... I love you so much... I won't let you die... I won't let you die...”

“Alphy,” Undyne replied, kissing her again. “I know. I believe you.” And she realised, when she said it, that she did – she felt hope, again, small but bright, deep in her heart. “I love you, too.”

“Mm,” Alphys murmured, and when Undyne looked back down at her, she saw that Alphys was barely awake. “I... I'm... I l-love... I-I l-love... y-you...”

When Undyne moved closer to reply, she smiled; Alphys was now out like a light, likely already asleep before she'd finished her sentence. “Oh, my love...” she whispered, before biting her lip and cuddling Alphys closer.

She didn't let go, holding Alphys as close to her as possible, through her own sleep and for the entire night.


	8. Chapter 8

When the morning came, the doctor walked in – and found that both women's conditions had changed, in the exact opposite way than he'd expected. This was especially true when he read Alphys's ECG and saw the spike in her heartrate – and how close she’d come to another attack. When he checked her heart and soul, he paused – and shakily wrote down notes that he wished he'd never had to write.

He was already shaken by this when he checked on Undyne, and found her similarly: her body was fine, if still a little damp, but she hadn't left residue in a day, and when he checked, her heart and soul blazed bright. He'd drastically underestimated her health, and he knew, when either woke up, he'd be in trouble.

So, he did the only thing a monster could ever think of when trapped in a bad situation: he called the King and Queen.

* * *

When Undyne woke up, she felt awake right away, and eager to talk to Alphys, again. She sat up and turned to her – and froze. Alphys was sleeping deeply, but she was pale, and her expression was drawn. One of her hands was held over her chest, and while she looked better physically, her expression made it seem like the opposite. 

Undyne suddenly felt scared, though she didn't know why, not exactly. Rather, the longer she looked at Alphys, the more fear she felt, and she took Alphys's other hand – horrified to find it was cold. 

What was going on? Why was Alphys looking so weak, feeling so sick, when her vitals were clearly thriving? 

And why did she, herself, feel so good, when she knew her body was slowly breaking down?

She moved closer, about to wake Alphys up, when suddenly, the doctor walked in, his expression carefully blank. Undyne saw his face and felt terror strike her, then – especially when she saw both Asgore and Toriel behind him and walking over to them both; Asgore went to Undyne, while Toriel went to Alphys. Undyne was speechless, now, especially when she felt Asgore touch her shoulders – and felt them shaking.

The doctor then dragged over a spare chair and sat down, holding two charts in his lap. He looked up at Toriel and nodded, and Toriel sat down at Alphys's other side and held a hand upon Alphys's chest, over her heart. Slowly, they all felt Toriel's magic in the air, and soon, Alphys woke up, looking confused – but oddly pain-free and comforted... calm, almost. She looked up at Toriel, smiling in gratitude, before she turned to Undyne and squeezed her hand.

“Wh-what...? What's wrong?” she asked, her soft voice breaking through the bated silence.

“Dr Alphys, Captain Undyne, I've made a terrible assumption,” the doctor said softly. “We assumed that, as Alphys's vitals keep improving with time, she'd be healed sooner.” When Alphys nodded, the doctor smiled weakly. “And with Undyne, we assumed that Undyne's body would start to melt, and very soon.”

Undyne frowned, but she saw Alphys staring at the doctor with pale cheeks and wide eyes. She listened, and heard Alphys's heartrate start to increase. To her surprise, the moment it did, Toriel focused her magic, and it immediately wrapped around Alphys's heart, like a gentle, healing blanket. Alphys shut her eyes and relaxed, and with both Undyne and the doctor helping, she slowed her breathing. 

“No,” she croaked out when she could, staring at the doctor as though he'd betrayed her. “I-I need time... I-I need to... I n-need to...!” Her voice rose with her increasing panic, and again Toriel focused her magic and calmed her heart. 

“I don't get it,” Undyne admitted shamefully, feeling fear snake through her. “What's wrong? What's going on?”

“Alphys's DT shot focused on her heart, we've discovered,” he answered. “And, using her heart, her body had been healing itself faster than ever thought possible. But it's at her heart's expense, Undyne. It's damaged her heart, and now, her heart is more like the heart of someone three times her age.”

Undyne felt the blood leave her face, but he wasn't done.

“The more her body heals, the more her heart ages,” he said. “And she's healing fast, Captain. At this rate... at this rate... she has a month, tops, before her heart gives out.”

Undyne felt her whole body flash hot, and she felt her own power rush through her. They all felt it – even Alphys – but she didn't care. She shouted, lunging forward, her hands out and reaching for the doctor's throat.

And that's when Asgore grabbed her, pulling her back with his arms around her waist, even as she scratched at his arms and screamed at him to let her go. But only Asgore was strong enough to hold her back – even now – and she was trapped, denied her revenge...

Alphys was sobbing, now, her hands covering her face. Toriel's face was drawn with concentration, struggling to keep Alphys's heart calm, but it was very difficult and took all of her focus. Alphys knew it, knew she was only causing more problems, but she couldn't help but sob. 

She was dying, and fast. And she'd be dead before she could cure Undyne. Which meant that Undyne was also doomed.

Undyne snarled the worst, most hateful names at the doctor, still trying to pull away from Asgore. The doctor lowered his head, sighing and nodding, and that acceptance made her even angrier. 

She didn't care about a cure, anymore. She wasn't angry about that. 

She was angry because no matter what, no matter what she'd done, Alphys was going to die. And she couldn't save her. 

When Undyne threw her hand out, a trio of her spears streaked forward, aimed for the doctor. Toriel's other hand quickly shot out and threw up a shaky shield, stopping them immediately. The doctor jumped back in shock, but he was unharmed, thanks to his queen. 

At that, however, Asgore knew he needed to take Undyne away. He had to drag her, as she was still trying to murder her doctor, her eye now pure black. But Asgore was still stronger, and he managed to pull her out into the hallway before she could attack him, again.

“Please,” Alphys then whispered, her eyes full of tears. “Please, doctor. I-I need more time... I need to find a cure... f-for Undyne... I n-need to cure Undyne...”

He nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. “I know. And we'll help you try, set you up here on life-support while you work. But the harder you work, the weaker your heart will get, so you need to be careful, Alphys.”

She nodded, closing her eyes gratefully; she'd honestly expected him to deny her. “Yes,” she agreed. “As-as soon as possible... get my notes, my work, and materials, any-anything... I n-need to save her.”

“Alright,” he said, standing up. He knew she meant now. He glanced at Toriel. “Can you keep her steady while I'm gone, Queen Toriel?”

“Yes,” she agreed, her eyes glinting. “I can and will.”

He nodded again, then quickly got up and left, running down the opposite way down the hall, away from Asgore and Undyne.

Alphys cried, her hands tangling together, trying to calm down, if not for her own sake, then at least for Toriel's. “I'm sorry,” she sobbed. “I-I'm sorry... I'll s-save her... I w-will...”

Toriel stared at her, then gently cupped her hand around Alphys's cheek. “Alphys, why do you not care that you're dying?”

“I do!” she answered, covering her eyes. “I do care! I don't want to die! But, Toriel... if I ever had to choose, I'd kill myself to save Undyne, with no hesi-hesitation! I d-don't care! I-if she lives, I'll die happy!”

“Alphys,” Toriel murmured, rubbing her cheek slowly, trying to soothe her. “We want you to live.”

“I don't c-care,” Alphys snapped, her voice catching several times. “If Undyne l-lives, the w-world is better. This... th-this killing me...” She choked out a bitter laugh. “It's perfect! I deserve to! But I refuse to die if I can't leave behind a cure!”

Toriel nodded, her eyes going to the ECG and feeling slight panic. Even with her magic, it was cutting close. “Okay,” she whispered to her. “Alright, Alphys. We'll help you, with the time you have left, find a cure. And we won't let you die until you do.”

The words tasted bitter upon Toriel's tongue, as the last thing she wanted was Alphys – someone she'd grown to love – to work herself to death, or to even die at all. But she knew it was what Alphys needed to hear, so she said them – even when they made her sick.

But it worked; Alphys nodded, and grabbed hold of Toriel's arm, looking so grateful it hurt. “I-I knew you'd under-understand, Toriel,” she said, smiling again, but this time with some real happiness. “Th-thank you... thank you...”

Toriel shushed her, intent on getting her either stable - or, more specifically, asleep. It took longer than she'd like, but soon, Alphys did drop back to sleep. Toriel remained with her, anyway, feeling her own heart aching.

* * *

It took far longer to calm Undyne down. She fought Asgore for a long time, especially when she saw the doctor leave the room and run down the hall. She'd shrieked and tried to follow him, but again, Asgore stopped her, and she cursed him, words that hurt him but knew he had to hear. 

But soon, to his shock, Undyne suddenly slumped in his arms. For a moment, he thought she'd passed out, but then she sobbed, a loud, unrestrained keen of pain. She fell out of his grasp, crumpling to the floor, and she curled up, keening out again, her voice breaking.

Asgore knelt down and pulled her close, and she clung onto him, another wail escaping her. 

She didn't really want the doctor to die. She didn't want _anyone_ to die.

But Alphys was. Undyne was going to lose her, when they'd both thought the opposite. Alphys was going to die, and Undyne wanted to die alongside her. Because to live without Alphys was no life, at all.

Asgore held her, stroking her hair, but feeling himself cry, as well. The cruel irony was not lost on either of them, and perhaps that's why it hurt so deeply. 

“Asgore...!” Undyne wailed, her voice so broke that he held her tighter. “Please...! Alphy...! Please...?! _Alphy...!!”_

Her voice choked off, and she wasn’t able to speak again for a long, long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Alphys didn't expect what she got. At all. She expected to be blocked in everything she wanted to do, especially when, once she'd woken up, she saw that she was moved to the ICU in order to get the medical – or, more accurately, life – support she needed to do it.

But they genuinely surprised her. The moment she was settled and had eaten her (mushy) lunch, as well as had a round of medications, several members of the hospital staff - people, she learnt later, who were actually rather fond of her and Undyne and were desperate to help and save them – became almost like her personal staff. They were that dedicated - with her doctor's insistence, too.

At first, Alphys was too anxious to ask for much. She first asked for a small desk to be set up next to her bed, so that she could flip it over her lap while she remained lying down. She got it right away, and used it to spread her phone and laptop on it (Toriel had grabbed it for her). She had initially thought it was all she would need, but quickly realised she'd need more – a lot more – and knew it was unlikely she could get any of it while in the ICU.

But again, they surprised her, to the point of tears at one point, once she'd found out how they'd come through for her.

* * *

It was the evening of the day of the now-cancelled wedding, and Alphys was already a wreck because of it.

And now, after hours of what she'd thought was progress, she had just come across a wall in her research, one she hadn't expected, and she just burst into tears, shoving the laptop aside and burying her face into her arms upon the table.

By this time, as well, Undyne had managed to collect herself and calm down. It hadn't been easy, and it took Asgore an hour to even get her back on her feet. Alphys had slept through it, thanks to Toriel, and by the time Undyne was more-or-less herself, she replaced Toriel and sent her home. (Toriel had protested, but Asgore agreed with Undyne, and with a promise to visit the next day, they both left.)

Undyne leaned over and wrapped her arms around Alphys's shaking shoulders, her heart aching at the sight of those tears. Alphys was already trying so hard with all she had, and trying to do it fast enough to save her own life as well as Undyne's. Therefore, every failure was personal for her, and meant that her death was getting closer and closer – no matter how hard she tried.

“No,” she sobbed, her voice muffled. Undyne looked up at that, as the moment she'd said that, her heartrate had gone up. “No, no, _no_! I can't die, yet! Not un-until you... n-n-not until _you're_...!”

“Alphy,” Undyne broke in quickly, leaning down and kissing her forehead. “Alphy, calm down, honey...”

 _“No!”_ Alphys sobbed, her whole body shaking, now. “I can't be calm, Undyne! I _can't_! I’ve killed us both, and I’m too stupid to even save _you_ , the only one I want to save, anyway, and-and-and--!”

Undyne’s eye went to the heart monitor in panic, her face pale. It was moments from going off, and they all knew that if Alphys went into shock again, that was it: she was dead.

And Undyne didn't want that to happen. Desperately. Not because Alphys hadn't found a cure yet, but because she didn't want Alphys to die at all, _ever_...

Alphys then started to wheeze between sobs, her hand going to her chest, and Undyne leaned over her and pressed the panic button, her mind blank with fear, now – especially when Alphys's face paled and her eyes closed tight.

“Alphy,” she murmured, her voice wavering. Alphys opened her mouth, trying to reply, but it felt oddly dry, and she couldn't. “Alphy! _Alphys!”_ She felt Undyne shake her gently, and she tried to stop her, but again, everything felt... everything felt...

The moment two nurses came in, the alarm went off. It was, luckily, the first alarm, but it was enough to bring Undyne to a complete panic, and her eye almost went completely black again – especially when, at first, she didn't see the nurses.

One nurse went to Alphys's other side and gently pulled her up from the table, only to lie her back down onto her back. Alphys didn't fight it, her hands going to her chest.

“Do something,” Undyne growled, her eye back on Alphys, and the air around her seemed to darken with her power. “ _Now_.”

“We are, Captain,” the first nurse said, pulling Alphys's hands away and resting them gently at her sides.

Undyne looked up and saw the second nurse hooking something up to Alphys's IV, and she leaned forward to read it, but it wasn't a medicine she knew, and she glared.

The second nurse noticed, and said, “It's a sedative and another dose of morphine.”

Alphys twitched at that, shaking her head slowly. “N-no, s-stop, I-I c-can't...”

“You must,” the first nurse said softly. “You've done enough for today, Doctor.”

“I-I need... Pl-please…”

Undyne leaned down closer and took her hand. “What do you need, Alphy?”

Alphys winced, trying to shake off the medication, feeling it already dragging her down. She moved her other hand and tried to pull it free from the IV, to try and stop it, but she felt her hand quickly pulled away and pinned down, and she uttered a frustrated cry.

“N-no!” she insisted.

But at that moment, the alarm stopped, and both nurses visibly relaxed, exchanging a look of relief. They remained, however, as they both needed to wait for Alphys to sleep before they could leave.

Undyne, however, was trying to help her wife, still. “Tell me. What is it?”

Alphys gritted her teeth, her eyes heavy, already shut – and she didn't even remember closing them. Her mind felt hazy, and she felt stupid, but she still tried.

“Lab,” she growled out, her voice tiny and catching on each word. “S-second file s-storage. T-two...” She shook her head and growled again, using every bit of determination she had to stay awake. “…USB pens... l-labelled... WDG... and-and... m-my name... in... d-desk... dr-drawer…”

“Which Lab, Alphy?” Undyne asked quickly.

Unnoticed, the nurses exchanged another look, and the first took out a phone and started typing something down.

“Tr-True,” Alphys whispered. “I... N-no... s-stop the… I d-don't... w-want...”

But her words stopped there. She suddenly relaxed, her hand limp in Undyne's, and for a moment, Undyne was terrified – until she felt a different hand on hers. She jumped, looking up – and listened: Alphys's heart was still beating, and now it was at a far safer pace.

The hand, she saw, belonged to the first nurse. She shifted her gaze, and the nurse nodded. “Captain, tell me where to go and I'll get it, and you can stay here with your wife.”

Undyne was speechless. It was a kindness so sudden, so surprising, that she couldn't find the words for quite some time.

“Captain, where do I go?” the nurse repeated, already standing up, still holding the phone up and preparing to type.

Slowly, Undyne explained where to go, and the nurse wrote it all down. As soon as Undyne had explained everything, the nurse got up and ran out of the room. With a nod to Undyne, the second nurse followed, calling out for the first.

Undyne sat there, trembling a little. She was still trying to process what had just happened in such a short time.

Then, she shut her eye and lowered her head, resting her forehead on Alphys's hand. She felt its slight warmth, and instead of comfort, she felt dread; the warmth, she knew, came from herself, and not Alphys.

“Alphy...” she whispered, her voice breaking.

* * *

Almost half and hour later, Asgore walked into the room and found Undyne still weeping, only now she held Alphys's hand to her cheek and rested her head on the side of her bed. Alphys was still heavily sedated, and was unlikely to wake up until the next day.

“Undyne.”

She looked up, startled, her face drawn in pain. “Dad?” she murmured. “Why are you back?”

He smiled and walked over, then gently set two USB pens on top of the table, beside Alphys's computer. Undyne blinked at them; one was indeed labelled “WDG”, and the other was labelled “ALPHYS”. When she saw the second one, her eye filled with tears.

“How?” she asked, her eye stuck on that pen.

Asgore hesitated, moving over to give Alphys a soft kiss on her forehead – a gesture that touched Undyne deeply – before he sat down beside Undyne.

“I met two nurses on the way here, and they gave them to me,” he explained, smiling gently again. “They had to go; their shift was done. And I was already on my way to come get you.”

Undyne frowned. “Come get me?” she echoed.

He nodded, taking her hand. “Undyne, you need to sleep in a real bed, and not here in the hospital. You're allowed to leave, as long as you come back tomorrow for more tests. I asked.”

However, instead of being happy, like Asgore expected, Undyne looked furious. “I'm _not_ leaving,” she snapped. She pulled her hand away and looked back down at Alphys, gritting her teeth.

Asgore sighed. “Undyne...”

“ _No_ ,” she growled, shaking her head. But, despite her tone, her eye was filling with tears. She reached forward and slowly stroked Alphys's forehead, closing her eye briefly when she felt how cold it was. “No.”

Asgore wanted to protest, but he knew his adopted daughter well enough by now – especially when it came to Alphys. So, he leaned over and hugged her, nodding. “Alright,” he murmured. After a moment, she hugged him back, and he closed his eyes, fighting tears of his own.

Undyne stayed awake almost the entire night, sleeping only when she was sure it would be safe for Alphys to do so. She woke up often, every little sound frightening her, but it always turned out to be nothing.

Undyne slept in the chair beside her wife's bed, and never let go of her hand – not even once.


	10. Chapter 10

With the new and old information Alphys now had, she finally got on the right track. It took her two weeks, and through it all, she was terrified she'd die before she got there, but she didn't.

She'd saved the “WDG” USB for years, but had never looked at its contents. Honestly, it scared her, and she didn't _want_ to read any of its contents, especially after learning the fate of the one who owned it.

But now was not the time to be skittish. She needed everything she had. If the USB ended up useless, at least she tried, and could finally move on to the next plan.

But luckily, with that pen, she didn't have to. When she compared its notes with her own, she suddenly connected several drastic oversights she'd made, and was able to find a way to reverse them.

_Which meant..._

“Oh my god,” she rasped out suddenly, startling Undyne, who was – and always had been – beside her. “Oh my _fucking_ god...”

By now, Undyne had started to drip a little, but not enough to be too serious - yet. She ignored each drip and stayed with Alphys, as she knew that Alphys needed her there.

Which... was true, now. Two weeks didn't seem like a long time, but for Alphys - who'd been given a month, at best – it took its toll. While Alphys was fully healed physically, now (something that had her doctor marvelling at, as it was insane how fast she'd healed), her heart was not. She was on life-support in truth, now, and every move she made was slow and sluggish, as if each move pained her.

Which, sadly, was true. Despite being healed physically, the damage to her heart – and her soul – could still be felt physically, as she was a monster, after all.

And she _looked_ sick, by now. She'd started to lose weight, and it was now starting to show in her face and hands; she'd lost her appetite a week prior and was forced to eat via a tube, but it wasn't quite enough, no matter how hard her doctor tried. She now needed oxygen all the time, and had that tube in her nose permanently, now, even in sleep. On bad days, she needed the mask, and those days were increasing with time. She was always pale, always cold, and her eyes were dull and faded. She'd started to sleep a lot by then, too, something she couldn't fight, as she was too weak to stay awake – and she did try to fight it. Several times, because of this, she'd been sedated, which only angered her more, as it wasted time she desperately needed – despite protests by everyone around her that it made no difference if she died, before she found the cure.

Everyone, by now, had done everything they could to help her. Each time she needed something, she had people who fought with each other over the right to get it for her, and each time, she cried, so touched that she couldn't help it.

So therefore, on this day, as the sun was setting, and when she'd suddenly said those words – and started to cry – Undyne was confused. She wasn't sure if it was because of what someone had done for her, how she was feeling, or her work.

“Alphy?” she murmured, leaning over and touching her hand lightly. She'd been reading on her phone when Alphys spoke, and she’d almost dropped it when she saw Alphys's expression.

She _was_ crying; this was true. And it was a violent cry, one she clearly felt through her whole body. But what made this so drastically different was the fact that, during it all, Alphys was _smiling_.

Undyne was speechless, now. She tucked her phone away and moved closer to her wife, sitting down on the bed next to her. Alphys immediately leaned against her and sobbed out, “Undyne! Undyne! You're _not_ going to die, Undyne!”

And she added a laugh to this, a laugh mixed with sobs, but it was the first real laugh Undyne had heard from her since this whole thing began. It was so shocking that Undyne didn't really understand what she'd said at first. But once she did, she stared at her wife, stunned.

“I-I-I've figured it out!” Alphys went on, waving her shaking hand to the screen of her laptop. “I'm so st-stupid, Undyne! I sh-should have read those f-files from the start!” And she laughed again, her face going right into Undyne's shoulder.

Undyne finally understood, and she started trembling. “Alphy... you... you found the cure?”

Alphys nodded, digging her claws into Undyne's back weakly. She laughed again, the sound choked with tears. Undyne stared at her, a smile suddenly coming to her lips, and her eye filled with tears, too. She held Alphys closer and kissed her, all over her face.

“Alphy!” she cried, speaking between kisses. “Alphy, you did it! We're safe!”

Alphys froze at that, her smile twitching, and she hoped that Undyne didn't notice. Her stomach clenched, and she tried to keep her smile as best as she could, though she hid her face in Undyne's shoulder, just to be safe.

Because the fact was, she had the cure. She knew how to do it. She knew how to make it. And she knew she had the materials she needed in the True Lab.

But she also knew that she wouldn't live long enough to do it, herself.

So when Undyne so happily said “we”, Alphys felt pain strike her. Because when she heard that, the reality that she'd been desperate to ignore would no longer be ignored.

They wouldn't get married. sans had been wrong. She had the cure, but it was too late for her. In fact, her whole plan was contingent upon his help; he was the only one other than herself who could make and administer the cure, and it would be up to him to cure Undyne.

But, unfortunately, Undyne had noticed that little twitch, and she paused, her smile vanishing. “Alphy?” Her voice wavered, seeing the conflict and sadness in Alphys's eyes, and it scared her.

Alphys bit her lip, pulling away and leaning on her desk again, her gaze back at the laptop. Then, she said, “C-can you call sans, tell him to come here? I-I need his help.”

“Alphy--,”

“Undyne, please?” Alphys murmured, turning her face away, now, too. “Please. My hands… I can't text too well. Pl-please?”

Undyne felt a flare of anger sweep through her, but she knew she wasn’t truly angry at Alphys. She was angry, because she knew something was wrong, and she knew there was nothing she could do about it, even if she knew what it was.

“Okay,” she answered, “I'll just call him. I'll be right back, okay?” When Alphys nodded, Undyne got up and went into the hallway with her phone, moving a bit down it before she called sans. She didn't want Alphys to hear what she was about to say.

The moment Undyne was gone, Alphys shut her eyes and curled up on herself, trembling. She kept her breaths steady as best as she could, and it worked, but she couldn't help it: she cried, as quietly as she could.

Because she could feel it, already: her time was almost up.

* * *

The moment he picked up the phone, Undyne said, “Alphys needs you here. She has the cure. But something's wrong, sans, and she won't fucking tell me!”

Silence met her words for a moment, before he answered, his voice oddly soft. “she found it?”

“Yes, but sans--!”

“i'll be right there.”

He hung up before she could even reply. It frustrated her, as she had a lot more to say to him.

But he surprised her. The moment she turned to go back into Alphys's room, he suddenly rounded the corner of the hallway and waved to her, stopping her. She froze, gaping at him, before she looked down at her phone – then back up at him.

“How the fuck--?” she started, but he'd already grabbed her hand and started pulling her back into the room.

Alphys, upon seeing them both, jumped in surprise, before she sighed and rolled her eyes. She probably should have expected that, really. She'd managed to calm down a little, but the evidence of her tears still remained, and sans saw it right away.

And just like that, he knew.

He froze, surprising Undyne into almost stumbling, as she still held his hand. When she looked back, she saw that his eyes were dim, and on Alphys's. She looked to Alphys, who was staring back, her face pale.

“Okay,” Undyne growled, dropping sans's hand and walking over to her chair. “Talk.”

Alphys took a breath before she looked away from sans, though it was clear that she was visibly shaken. She waved him over, and while he hesitated, he did sit down on her other side.

“I need both of you to listen to me, okay?” she said softly, looking between both of them. “I’m going to tell you what the cure is, how to make it, and how to give it. I've already written it down, but I think it's best if you hear it, too.”

Undyne felt a sinking in her stomach at that. She didn't like the way Alphys phrased that. “But, why, Alphy? Aren't you gonna be the--?”

“Undyne,” Alphys interrupted, meeting her gaze. Undyne shut up, seeing _something_ in Alphys's eyes that she'd never seen before, and couldn't name. And it scared her to silence. “Please.”

Undyne nodded slowly, grabbing her hand between her own, and Alphys smiled at her faintly.

It took a while for Alphys to explain it all. There was a great deal to go over, and by the end, Undyne was glad she'd written it all down, because there was no way she'd memorised it.

sans, however, nodded when Alphys was finished; clearly, he could – and had.

Alphys smiled, then, leaning back from the table and closing her eyes. “Okay. G-good. I-I'm glad you understand. Th-thank you.”

Undyne looked at sans, then, confused, still. sans, however, looked away, instead staring at the heart monitor, and he said nothing.

“But--,” Undyne tried.

Alphys reached up and touched her lips with two cold fingers, silencing her. She opened her eyes and smiled again faintly. “Just humour me, love? I-I feel better this way: the m-more people who know, the better.”

“Oh,” Undyne said, blinking. Alphys dropped her hand, and Undyne took it, again. Despite the reassurance, however, Undyne still felt scared: that _something_ was still in Alphys's eyes, and it didn't go away.

“sans?” Alphys then said, turning to him. He looked over and nodded. “I-I need you to do the preparations, okay? Th-there's no way I can do th-them here. They need to be made in a lab. I know you know how to do it, now.”

He nodded; he did indeed know, and it wasn't just from Alphys's explanation. With visible hesitation, he stood up. “i'll go get started, now,” he said.

But his voice was flat, and he didn't let go of Alphys's hand. Alphys looked up at him, smiling faintly and squeezing his hand lightly, nodding. He searched her eyes for a moment, then closed his own, before he let go of her hand. Then, without turning back, he left.

Alphys watched him go. She regretted that. She regretted all of this. But there was no other way.

And they both knew it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me and read the tags again, pancakes :)

That night, after Alphys was looked over and given the care she needed as she slept, she asked Undyne a question that surprised her.

“Undyne,” she murmured, reaching up and touching her cheek gently. She felt its dampness, and she bit her lip, but she also felt a stirring of hope, too. “Undyne, can you... can you hold me? Until I fall asleep?”

Undyne smiled at her, nodding. She shifted to sit down on Alphys's bed carefully, before she adjusted herself a little. Then, she wrapped her arms around Alphys and pulled her close. Alphys immediately curled up against her, her arms slipping loosely around Undyne's waist, and she smiled, closing her eyes.

“Th-thank you,” Alphys whispered.

“Feeling sleepy, already?” Undyne wondered, rubbing her back slowly. When Alphys nodded, she smiled again faintly, pulling her even closer. “Then sleep, Alphy. You've earned it today, for sure.”

Alphys bit her lip at that. She hesitated, unsure if she should ask what she wanted to, next, but she realised she had to. She wanted to feel brave.

“Undyne,” she said, still in that tiny whisper. “Please... kiss me goodnight?”

Undyne blinked; her tone was strange, and when she looked down, she saw that Alphys's eyes were already closed. “Alphy? You okay?” she wondered, feeling worry hit her. She'd never asked what that _something_ had been, that strangeness in her eyes...

“Y-yes,” Alphys lied, nodding against her chest. “I'm just… so sleepy. Please?”

Undyne felt love punch her again at that, and she leaned her head down, gently tilting Alphys's chin up towards her before she kissed her.

Alphys's arms tightened around her, and she kissed back as best as she could, but she wished she could do better, give better...

When Undyne pulled away, Alphys managed to open her eyes again halfway and smile at her, again. “Th-thank you, Undyne...”

Undyne nodded. “Sleep, Alphy. You look beat. It's okay. Tomorrow, we'll get you cured, and everything will be okay.”

Alphys stared at her. It took every single shred of willpower to not cry, and it even hurt her throat; that was how much she fought it. But she nodded, smiling a little wider, and she saw something in Undyne's face relax.

“Hold me until I'm asleep? Please?” she begged, her words already slurring together as her eyes closed, again.

“Always, Alphy,” Undyne agreed.

“I-I... I-I love you so m-much, Undyne...”

“I love you, too, Alphy. So damned much.” She kissed her wife upon her forehead gently, letting her lips linger for a moment, and she felt Alphys sigh in contentment. “I'll be here when you wake up, okay? I promise.”

Alphys nodded, barely realising she was doing so. She was already so numb, so far away, that no matter how hard she fought it; she didn't want this embrace to end.

But she lost.

And because of it, Undyne could not fulfil her promise.

But Undyne didn't know that, yet. The moment Undyne saw that Alphys was asleep, after holding her for a moment, she pulled away, laid her back down, and tucked her in. Then, she sat in her chair, and held Alphys's hand through the night – even when she, too, eventually fell asleep.

* * *

When Undyne woke up, it was to someone shaking her, hard. She growled, moving to slap those hands away. She tried to curl more into her chair, but she was shaken harder, and with that, she was awake. She moved to smack and snarl at the shaker, but the moment her eye focused, she stopped.

It was Asgore, and his eyes were bright with panic. He stood right in front of her, so that her view of Alphys was blocked.

“Undyne,” Asgore said tersely, pulling her to her feet. She was so shocked that she let him, disoriented by everything, and she nodded. "We need to go."

Then, a flash of movement caught her eye, and she turned towards it, even as Asgore tried to pull her away. When she focused on it, her eye widened and burned, and she couldn't look away, going deaf with shock.

Surrounding Alphys's bed was her doctor and three nurses. Alphys, herself, was lying down, and anything but awake. Undyne saw that she was pale, still – but now with a hue of grey to her skin.

As she stared, the nurses started fitting Alphys with a ventilator. And the moment she saw that, she could suddenly hear, again, and she heard that Alphys's heart alarm was going off: the second-to-last alarm, the one that went off before...

 _”No!!”_ Undyne screamed it, her eye going completely black, and the moment she did, Asgore grabbed hold of her and started trying to pull her away. _”No!! Let me go!! Alphy!! Let me go!!”_

Asgore, however, was the only one strong enough to pull her away, and no matter how hard she fought, he didn't let go – or stop pulling her away.

The moment he'd just managed to get her out of the room, they both heard it: the sound of Alphys flatlining.

When Undyne screamed again, only this time without words, Asgore shut the door behind them. Undyne fought him with everything she had, then, desperate to get back to that room, to try and do anything, _anything,_ to stop those alarms, that horrible, one-note sign of death...

But Asgore was still stronger, and soon, he'd pulled her far enough so that the alarms were out of her hearing range.

And that's exactly when sans showed up.

The sight of him, so suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, stopped her almost dead in Asgore's arms, her black eye trained on him, and only him.

“Undyne,” he said slowly, and she shivered, despite herself; his eyes were as black as her own, only they were empty, too. “You need to calm down, right now.”

“Sans!” she answered, her voice breaking. Asgore held her on her feet, still, looking away from both of them to try and regain his own composure, but he still held his daughter close. “Sans! We-we need to get that cure, for Alphy!!”

For a moment, a horrible moment, it looked like he was going to argue with her; his face was oddly blank, and coupled with his eyes, he scared her. But her fear meant nothing right now, especially now.

“Please, Sans!” she begged, her voice breaking.

He'd noticed, on his way to Alphys's room, that there had been visible footprints left behind - dragged, struggling footprints – and he knew them to be Undyne's, and a further sign of her deterioration. He actually was going to fight her, especially since he'd promised Alphys he would, and especially after seeing that.

But when their eyes met, and he saw her agony, her near-insanity, he changed his mind. He silently apologised to Alphys, but he changed his mind right then and there.

“Yes,” he agreed at last. “Alphys... she comes first, right now.”

He looked up at Asgore, who was still holding Undyne, and their eyes met; Asgore stared at him, his expression carefully guarded, but Sans nodded all the same, seeing something there that Undyne could not.

“She taught us how,” Undyne said quickly, trying to get Sans to focus. “She only had one shot, right? It should be easy to make. Just one. We gotta do it, before... before...!” Her voice broke.

At that, Asgore gently let her go, and she didn't do what he expected and run back to Alphys's room. Instead, she went right to Sans and grabbed one of his hands between her own.

“Please,” she begged him.

Sans looked up at her with that empty glare, but she didn't flinch. He then nodded, gripping onto her hand tight. “Close your eye and don't let go of my hand,” he said.

She nodded, doing so, and she heard him say to Asgore, “We'll be back. Make sure she doesn't die. Don't leave her side when you can get to her.”

“Of course,” Asgore agreed, and Undyne heard the waver in his voice, a sound that went straight to her heart.

Then, suddenly, Undyne felt a tug at her soul, one that startled her. But when she felt Sans hold her hands tighter, she gritted her teeth and kept her eye shut.

After a moment, that feeling stopped – and her feet landed on solid ground. She opened her eye and found that they were in the True Lab – just like that.

“Let's go, Captain,” Sans advised, already moving quickly down the hall.

She swallowed hard. _Alphy, hold on, hold on... I'm going to save you, just like you'll save me._

_Hold on, Alphy!_

With those thoughts still echoing in her mind, she ran after Sans – and into the deep bowels of the True Lab.


	12. Chapter 12

When the doctor finally caught up with Asgore, he looked pale and exhausted, and he even trembled a little, his face drawn. He was surprised to find his king alone, and he looked around.

“Where's Captain Undyne?” he wondered.

“She and Sans went to make Alphys's cure,” Asgore admitted. He paused, then, and asked, very carefully, “If she's still alive...?”

The doctor blinked up at him. “She is,” he agreed, and Asgore was so relieved that he sat down, covering his face with his hands.

The doctor sat down next to him. “King Asgore,” he continued, “Alphys is... she's only alive because she's hooked up to life-support.”

Asgore's head shot up at that, his eyes going to the doctor's. “No,” he murmured.

“I know...” the doctor agreed, his expression falling. “I know. I tried to get her heart to beat on its own, to get her to breathe without help, but... it didn't work. She's on a ventilator and an external pace-maker, right now, and needs 24-hour care.”

Asgore stared at him, mute, now.

“Would you like to stay with her? Until...” The doctor winced, and quickly changed his phrasing. “Until the Captain gets back?”

But Asgore had heard the shift, and he narrowed his eyes. “Doctor, how long does she have?”

The doctor looked down, sighing. “I tried, Your Majesty. I tried with everything I am, everything I have...”

“How long, please?”

“She... she's lucky if she sees tomorrow.”

Asgore bit his lip, smothering his tears. Then, he said, “Take me to her.”

The doctor nodded.

* * *

It was bad, the stuff of nightmares. Asgore walked into that room and immediately heard the sounds of multiple machines working hard, even before he saw Alphys. He walked in slowly, his knees threatening to give out, and when he could, he dropped into the chair that Undyne had sat in, staring at his former Scientist with deep, unrelenting despair.

“Alphys?” he called softly, taking her hand between his; it was cold and limp, the fingertips slightly blue.

She didn't move, didn't even twitch; she couldn't hear him. She was limp, and he could barely see her face: it was almost completely covered by the mask, and her eyes were shut tight and looked almost sunken-in. Her chest rose and fell every time the ventilator filled her lungs, and he could hear her heart beating slowly, but he knew. He knew it wouldn't last for long. He knew the doctor was right.

She _would_ be lucky to see tomorrow...

He closed his eyes for a moment, then pulled his hands away, taking his phone out. He texted Toriel first, begging her to join him and keep him company. Then, he texted Undyne, and updated her on the situation.

* * *

They'd just made it to the main part of the Lab, where Alphys had kept the remaining DT samples, when Undyne got Asgore's text. She stopped, her hands fumbling for her phone, and the moment she understood what she was reading, she just dropped to the floor, onto her knees, staring at the screen in disbelief.

_”Undyne, Alphys survived that attack on her heart, but only because they put her on life-support. It's the only thing keeping her alive, and she doesn't have much longer. Please, I beg you, find what you need to save her, and come back as soon as you can. We only have until tomorrow.”_

She cried out, then, her eye shutting tight, feeling her tears run hot down her cheeks. Sans turned around and went to her, his eyes still empty. When he reached out to touch her shoulders, his hands trembled.

“Did she...? Is she...?” he asked, his voice so soft that she almost didn't hear it.

Silently, she handed him the phone, before she covered her face and cried.

“Undyne, stop,” Sans then said, the moment he was done reading. “ _Stop_!”

The sharpness in his voice made her go silent, and she looked up, her eye still full and dark. She opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

“Undyne, she needs us. She needs us, _now_. We don't have much time. We need to do this, and I need you to help me. And you can't help me if you're crying!” He shook her a little, and she winced, closing her eye for a moment. “ _Focus_ , Undyne!”

She nodded, gritting her teeth and pushing her tears back. When she managed, she rose to her feet, and Sans let his hands drop. She still trembled, but her eye blazed, now, and her mouth was set.

“Okay,” she said, her voice now steady. “Let's do this.”

* * *

 The cure was, in a way, rather simple. Alphys had figured out that, when they'd both been shot, their bodies went into a kind of panic mode, and immediately used the DT in their blood to save them. But in doing so, their bodies used it _up,_ and once it was fully gone, it would mean two things: Undyne would melt, and Alphys would die.

And Alphys was already dying. Her DT was already gone, fully used to heal her body, which was why her body then resorted to using her heart to make up for the lack. And while Undyne was starting to leave more and more residue, because she'd had three rounds, it was taking her body longer to use hers up.

Alphys had then concluded, based on the files on both USB drives, that what they needed to do was _replace_ that lost DT, renew it, so that their bodies would once more revert back to normal, and actually be fully healed, again. And each time, if this ever happened again, they would have to repeat this procedure, depending on how much they used, to survive.

"She said that hers was yellow,” Sans muttered, his hands opening the biggest drawer in the office's desk. Within it were several vials of colourful... _stuff_. It was neither liquid or solid, and seemed to almost move like smoke beneath the glass. He grabbed the closest yellow vial he could find and pulled it free.

Undyne nodded, going to the other side and opening a separate drawer. In this one were several other vials, similar in substance, but they all were the same colour: a light grey. She searched, and for a moment, she was terrified she wouldn’t find it.

Then, her fingers landed on one in the back, behind the ones labelled “Duggo”, “Snowhen”, and “Greatest Dog” and "A.D./Flwr", was a single vial labelled “Me”.

“In my earliest days,” Alphys had said to them, looking embarrassed. “I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing. So, I used the DT extraction machine on the sick monsters, too. I even used it on myself. But what came out was anything but DT. It was just... stuff. I'd shoved it aside, thinking it was useless, but now...”

Her eyes had gone unfocused, deep in thought. “Now, I know that it was probably the best mistake I ever made. Because when I did that, I extracted exactly what I need now to save them - and y-you... I-I mean... u-us... I-if we combine the two, it should make the DT immediately work, and attach to our blood effortlessly..."

“Got it,” Undyne said to Sans, and he nodded and took it, setting both it and the yellow one in a rack. He pulled out a third, empty vial, more like a bottle, really, one bigger than the other two, and very slowly he began to empty the contents of the smaller ones into it. The moment they were both empty, he quickly shoved a cork into the big vial, then very gently shook it.

As Undyne watched, the two colours, at first, seemed at odds with each other, remaining separate and not even mingling a little. But Sans kept shaking it, stubborn, and soon, they began to mix together, bit by bit, until what was left was a soft, almost buttery yellow within it.

Undyne felt tears fill her eye. That was exactly what Alphys had said would happen if it was successful.

Sans smiled, then, the first time he'd done so in hours. With it, his eyes suddenly sparked, and the pinpoints returned. With practised hands, he grabbed a syringe and a needle, and carefully inserted the needle into the bottle through the cork. Then, he pulled the plunger back, and when it did, the syringe filled with that light yellow.

“ _Yes_ ,” Undyne whispered.

He made sure he had it all, before he extracted the needle and stoppered it with its cap. Then, he looked up at her, and held out his other hand.

“let's go save your wife, captain,” he said, his voice much lighter, now.

She smiled tearfully and grabbed his hand, shutting her eye tight, and when she felt that tug on her soul, again, she didn't fight it. She let go, desperate to not only see Alphys again – but to save her.


	13. Chapter 13

When Undyne ran into the room, the second her eye registered what she was seeing, she not only stopped in mid-run, but dropped, unable to breathe or hear or even see too well. But she could see enough, and it was enough to break her heart.

“Alphy...!” she gasped out, her breaths now coming fast and sharp. She stared up at her wife from her new place on the floor, her vision blurry, and she couldn't move. Her hands went to her chest, over her heart, and she repeated her wife's name, only this time, as a plea.

But nothing changed. Alphys remained as she was.

“undyne,” she suddenly heard sans snap at her. “get up. get up!”

She felt a hand go under one of her arms, pulling her up and back onto her feet, but she shook her head slowly, her eye glued to Alphys's grey face. Just last night, she'd been fine. Tired, yes, but fine...

How could this have happened so quickly?

It was Asgore, she knew, who was now holding her up and on her feet. She'd grabbed his arm and sank her nails into it, still in disbelieving shock.

“asgore, i need her. her hands are stronger than mine. i need her to do it, because there's no way i can.”

“Alphy,” Undyne murmured, her voice a slow, agonised keen. “Alphy...!”

Then, suddenly, she felt hands cup her face, and she jumped, startled. Someone moved to block her vision, and she struggled to look around them. However, she felt Asgore hold her tighter, and she couldn't.

Slowly, her eye moved up, and saw that it was Toriel who was holding her face, her red eyes soft and kind, a contrast to Undyne's eye, one ringed with black and bright with panic. She struggled to breathe, but it was probably one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life.

“Undyne,” she heard Toriel say, and her eye darted between the Queen’s quickly, searching desperately for something she couldn't even name. “Undyne, my dear, I know you're scared. I know seeing her like this is painful. _I know._ ” And for a moment, Toriel's eyes wavered with long-buried grief, and it got Undyne's attention. “But she needs you, Undyne. She needs you. My hands, Asgore's hands, are too big. sans's hands are too weak. She needs _you,_ Undyne. She needs you to save her.”

Undyne stared at her, shaking so hard that she heard her teeth click together several times, but she felt herself nod, even as her nails dug harder into Asgore's arm.

Toriel brushed her thumbs slowly over Undyne's pale, wet cheeks. “You can do this, Undyne. You have to.”

Undyne nodded again, only this time, something in her eye clicked, and she gritted her teeth together to stop their chattering. “Yeah,” she got out, her voice so small that she barely recognised it as her own.

Carefully, Asgore let her go, and she stumbled, almost about to fall over, again. Toriel held her up for a moment, then she, too, let her go. They moved away, and sans replaced them, holding the syringe up to her in silence.

She took it and held it in both of her hands, as careful as she could. Then, she walked over to Alphys's side like a sleepwalker, her eye once more falling upon her beloved's face.

“Oh god,” she croaked out. “You knew. You knew last night.” She didn't know why she said it, but she knew it was true, now. It was obvious, now that she knew. “You bitch. You _knew_. You planned to die. You planned to die!”

Anger surged through her blood at that, and she glowered at Alphys, reaching down with one hand and pulling Alphys's IVed hand up by her wrist. She then looked down, so that she didn't mess it up, and managed to get the needle into one of the IV's tubes.

“Fuck you,” she whispered, but she said it with grief, this time. “You're not leaving me. _You're not leaving me!”_

And on that, she pushed the plunger down slowly, watching that soft yellow substance disappear into the IV port. She trembled, still, tears running down her cheeks, but her hands were oddly steady, and she did it like a professional.

When it was empty, she held it out to sans without turning around. He took it, and when he did, she sat down beside Alphys, holding that hand tight. Her eye remained on Alphys's face, searching desperately, and her heart raced, terrified that this wouldn't work.

And indeed, at first, it seemed like it didn't. Nothing happened for almost ten minutes.

Then, Undyne noticed: Alphys's eyelids were flickering, just a little, and for a moment, Undyne thought it was just a trick of the light, or her vision.

That was quickly corrected a minute later, when Alphys's hand suddenly grabbed hold of hers, so hard and so strong that Undyne gasped in shock.

Behind her, sans, Asgore, and Toriel watched, not moving, too afraid to do or say anything, but at this, all three stepped forward, hope suddenly blossoming within them.

Alphys's hand shook, the fingers clutching onto Undyne's so hard they were almost vise-like, and after a moment, she flinched, her other hand going up and clawing at the ventilator. She made a deep, guttural choking sound, and her hand scrabbled in panic.

Undyne slammed her other hand onto the panic button, especially when she heard Alphys's heartrate increase. Alphys made another choking sound, her claws digging into Undyne's hand, and she tried again to pull the ventilator away.

Two nurses came in seconds later, just as Alphys choked again. They stopped, exchanging a shocked look, before they threw themselves forward and went to her. One kept her still and calm while the other carefully unhooked the ventilator and pulled it from her throat.

The moment she was free of it, Alphys coughed, her hand going up again, but the first nurse held it back down. The second quickly slipped an oxygen tube into her nose and turned it on, and as they watched, she slowly breathed it in through her nose. The longer she did, the better she looked.

“What the hell happened?!” the first nurse suddenly demanded, still holding Alphys's hand down.

Undyne ignored them. She ignored everyone.

Except Alphys.

She leaned close and pressed her forehead to Alphys's, and found that her skin wasn't as cold, anymore.

The moment that happened, Alphys growled from deep in her chest, her eyelids flickering again, and she managed to pull her hand free of the nurse’s to reach up and touch Undyne's arm, her claws digging in hard. Undyne welcomed that stinging pain with a sudden laugh, and she reached up and cupped Alphys's face between her hands.

“Un... dy... ne...?” she heard Alphys whisper, barely a sound, but she heard it.

And at that, Undyne suddenly sobbed, the sound tearing her throat. She moved closer, leaning down and kissing Alphys's lips gently, before she nodded against her forehead. She couldn't speak, but she didn't need to. She knew Alphys understood.

Because it was then that Alphys began to weep, small, sparse tears that gathered around her eyelashes and seemed to get caught in them. She tried to speak again, but all she got out was, “L... lo... love...”

Undyne then stood up and grabbed her, leaning down and holding her against her chest hard, sobbing in earnest, now. She felt Alphys's hands move to her back, her claws digging in again, and she laughed again, the sound mixed with sobs.

 _“Holy shit,”_ was all the second nurse said.

And truly, it was the best way to express what they were all feeling at that moment.


	14. Chapter 14

But of course, it wasn't that easy. The moment she could, Alphys said as much.

She'd endured a great deal of hugging, something that she actually rather loved, to be honest. To wake up to Undyne holding her hand, touching her face, even kissing her... It was a wonderful contrast to how she'd fallen unconscious. Even sans hugged her, something she was surprised by (but it also didn't last, as Undyne shoved him away and resumed hugging her, like she did with both Asgore and Toriel, too).

And in that way, Undyne kept her promise, after all.

Once her doctor had made sure she was stable and her medications were adjusted, he vanished with the Dreemurrs. (In actuality, all three went to the staff room to share a flask of brandy that Toriel had snuck in.)

Undyne certainly would not let go of her for long, but Alphys truly loved it. She couldn't stop smiling, and her cheeks hurt, she was so happy.

This was not at all what she’d expected – planned for, even.

And Undyne knew it, too, something that embarrassed her.

“You fucking _bitch_!!” Undyne suddenly shouted, the moment Alphys was stable and fully awake. She held Alphys by her shoulders, and shook her the moment she'd finished the sentence.

Alphys, instead of protesting, blushed, trying to smile but only ending up looking sheepish. “E-er...” she rasped out, holding her hands out in front of her.

“Alphy!!” Undyne continued, shaking her again. “You _asshole_! You planned to die! You were gonna let yourself die!”

Alphys nodded, swallowing hard. There was no use lying; not like this.

“undyne,” sans suddenly broke in, but she ignored him.

 _“Why?!”_ Undyne demanded.

Alphys closed her eyes, her smile vanishing. “Be-because... y-you...”

 _“Don't you dare fucking say it,”_ Undyne snarled.

“undyne, don't blame just her,” sans broke in again. “i agreed with her, and was gonna make sure it happened.”

Undyne's eye flared with shock, suddenly realising that what he said was true – and had been obvious while he'd been doing it, too.

Alphys's eyes went to his suddenly. “Wh-why?” she murmured, her eyes glinting. “Why did-didn't you...?”

“because it made undyne cry,” sans admitted softly.

There was more to it than that, though of course he'd claim it was the most important reason. But the fact was, he could see the growing insanity in Undyne's eye the longer she went without Alphys, and it terrified him. He knew what it meant: that if Alphys died - even if Undyne let herself get cured, which he doubted - she'd kill herself right after.

And that was the last thing he wanted.

At his words, Undyne's anger suddenly snuffed out, and she pulled Alphys to her, shivering. “Don't,” she begged. “Don't fucking do that to me ever again. If you do, Alphy, I swear, I'll divorce you.”

Alphys couldn't help it; she laughed softly at that. “Okay,” she agreed. “Okay.”

She then paused, her expression falling. “Undyne, th-this... D-do you remember what happened t-to us? When we first did this?”

Undyne froze, then, her face falling, too. “Wait,” she stammered. “Wait, Alphy, no. _No_! I-I _just_ got you back, I _can't_ \--!”

Alphys hugged onto her tighter, shushing her and stroking her hair slowly, and Undyne slumped in her arms, her eye shutting tight.

“You won't,” Alphys answered. Her voice was still raspy from the ventilator irritating her throat, but it was still soothing. “Undyne, you won't. Remember, it was only a few days, and I was fine once I woke up.”

Undyne searched her face, her throat clogging up. “A few days...?” she repeated, her voice tiny.

“Possibly less,” Alphys agreed, her eyes warm. “Since you used the serum that was shocked from me, too. The entire cure is attuned to my body because of that, and it'll probably work faster.”

Undyne shivered, nodding slowly. “Wh-when?” she whispered.

Alphys hesitated, then whispered, “I'm n-not sure, but... pr-probably soon.”

 _“Fuck,”_ Undyne answered, her voice strained.

“captain,” sans spoke up, getting to his feet and staying beside her. She looked at him, and he placed a hand on his shoulder. “you won't be alone, okay?” His eyes flicked to Alphys. “neither will you.”

Alphys bit her lip, surprised. She hadn't known that he knew she'd been alone when she'd taken DT. So, to veer away from that, she stammered, “N-no. I-I need you to help Undyne m-make her cure. S-she needs to be... the DT extrac--,”

She winced suddenly, her eyes closing, for a moment, her breaths sounded almost scratchy and dry. She gritted her teeth and shook her head, her eyes opening again.

But Undyne wasn't a fool. She knew what Alphys looked like when she was about to either distract or lie, and she glared at her. “Alphy...” she said slowly.

“Y-yes?” Alphys replied, struggling to smile but only managing to get her lips to twitch.

“I know what I need to do for my cure,” she answered. “And I also know that, yeah, sans can do it, but you're the one who _should._ I know I can wait a few more days, Alphy. And so do you.”

Alphys bit her lip, but then sans piped in. “we both know you're just trying to kick us out, so that we won't see you sick.”

When Alphys winced again, sans and Undyne exchanged an annoyed, long-suffering look, then shared a nod.

 _“No,”_ Undyne concluded, her voice sharp.

Alphys looked up at her, her face red, and she'd started sweating. “U-Undyne,” she tried again, her hands getting tangled in her gown. “Y-yes. Okay. I-I don't want you to see-to see me sick.”

Undyne opened her mouth to snap at this, but Alphys went on. “After what's just happened, I-I can't... I can't... I can't do that to you. To anyone.”

“Did you even tell the _doctor_ , Alphy?!” Undyne snarled, almost talking over her. “Does _he_ even know what's gonna happen?!

“U-uhm,” Alphys answered, looking away.

“For _fuck's_ sake, Alphy,” Undyne growled.

“I-I-I'm sorry!” Alphys suddenly cried, covering her face with her hands. “I... I'm s- _sorry_! I-I d-don’t even... I did-didn't think I... I didn't--,”

Undyne had no idea what she was trying to say, but she didn't care. She immediately shut up and pulled Alphys back into her arms, holding her closer, and Alphys clung to her and cried, unable to hold it in, now.

“you didn't think you'd be alive,” sans then suddenly finished, his voice flat. “so you never even made a plan for yourself.”

Which brought them right back to where they started.

“R-right,” Alphys murmured, her voice soft and choked with tears, still. Undyne rubbed her back slowly and kissed the top of her head, and she felt a little better.

“well, doc, you are,” sans replied, rather dryly, too. “so now you gotta deal with it. shed that skin and whatnot.”

Alphys raised her head and practically seethed at sans for that, but he merely grinned in reply.

“How many times,” she growled, “do have to tell you, that I don't shed my skin?!”

Undyne blinked; this was the first time she'd actually ever heard of this, and she found herself interested. And, if she were honest, she welcomed a distraction from all of this, no matter how weird.

“I don't get it,” she admitted.

Alphys hid her head back into her chest and growled, but it made Undyne smile, again: growling was so much better than tears.

“alphys is a lizard,” sans began, but Alphys sat up again and interrupted.

“I am not!” she snarled. “I'm just... I'm no more a lizard than Undyne is a fish!”

Undyne tilted her head. “I _am_ a fish,” she said calmly.

When Alphys groaned and rolled over to hide in her blankets, sans started laughing silently, his whole body shaking with it.

Then, Alphys suddenly stiffened. “G-get..” she murmured, one hand grabbing the railing of her bed and holding onto it. “…doctor.”

Both Undyne and sans lost their mirth immediately. Undyne moved closer to Alphys and touched her shoulder gently – and suddenly noticed how hot it was. When she stood up, slipping her hand up to Alphys's forehead, her eye flared: she was burning up. Alphys reached up with her other hand and held Undyne's in place, shivering.

“Just like last time?” Undyne asked softly, though inwardly she was scared.

Alphys nodded, her arm shaking from how hard she held the railing.

“Okay,” Undyne said, gently taking hold of that hand and prising it free, before she rolled Alphys onto her back. Alphys winced, her hands going up to her chest, but when Undyne touched her cheek, her eyes opened slowly.

“You're not alone,” Undyne reminded her.

Alphys stared at her, those words striking her deep. After all that had happened, for some reason, that simple fact was enough to bring a small smile to her lips. She nodded, reaching up and covering Undyne's hand with her own.

Her smile faded when she felt how damp that hand felt against her own skin. “Undyne,” she murmured. “Please. Get sans to make you your cure while I'm sick.”

“No,” Undyne answered. She understood why Alphys was afraid, and to be fair, she was, too, but right now, for Undyne, only Alphys mattered. And she knew she could wait a little longer.

Alphys wished she were as confident. She wasn't sure how long Undyne had, though she did agree with the doctor that it was at least a year – unless Undyne did something that required her to use up her DT faster. If that happened, her time would be shorter, and over before she knew it.

“I-If I'm sick for longer th-than a day, Undyne, please...?” Alphys tried, her claws digging into her hand a little.

“No,” Undyne answered. She glared at Alphys. “Stop trying to get rid of me!”

Alphys went red, about to protest, but that was when sans and her doctor came back in, and she never got to say it. It was probably just as well, because it _was_ rather rude.

Quickly, she explained what was going on, as she already felt nauseated and hot all over, and was worried she'd throw up. The doctor's eyes widened, then closed briefly, before he nodded.

“When?” he asked.

Alphys sighed. “S-soon. I-I...” She gritted her teeth, curling up into a ball on one side of her bed. “Ugh...” She concluded, shutting her eyes and burying her face into her knees.

The doctor bit down on his lip hard, and Undyne could tell he'd just stopped himself from cursing. (She wondered absently just how strong that brandy had been – and suddenly wondered if she could have some, too.)

“Okay,” he muttered. “Just a fever, right?”

Alphys nodded, her claws digging into her shins. Undyne grabbed her hands and pulled them away gently, holding them in her own, and Alphys dug her claws into them, instead. Her hands already felt hot.

“Alright,” the doctor concluded. “Let's get you through this.”

It was easier said than done – they all knew it – but they humoured him, anyway.

But, it turned out, he was right. It actually was that easy, after all.


	15. Chapter 15

To the shock of everyone – most of all Alphys – it only lasted a day and a night.

Shortly after the doctor made plans with the staff, as well as Undyne - who refused to leave and wouldn't take no as an answer to her offer of help - Alphys fell unconscious, and she spiked with a severe fever that kept her that way.

At first, Undyne was panicked, and she even shook Alphys to try and wake her up. While no one could blame her (she really had just gotten her back), it wasn't at all helpful, and Asgore tried to get her to get something to eat with him. She refused, so he sighed and brought it to her – and ate it with her, too. (Toriel and sans left to eat – as well as refill Toriel's flask.)

Undyne ignored the food, to Asgore's irritation, but only until she was sure that Alphys was stable. The moment the doctor confirmed this, she sighed, grabbed the box of take-out, and wolfed it down. Asgore was impressed by her speed.

Between bites, she said, her voice a soft mutter, “Did you tell everyone?”

Asgore blinked, looking up. He'd just finished eating, and had wrung out a cloth to clean Alphys's face with. His hands froze in the bowl of cool water. “Well,” he answered, sounding guilty.

Undyne looked up at that, narrowing her eye. “Dad.”

“I... haven't. I haven't told anyone anything since…” He winced, then quickly turned away and towards Alphys, gently cleaning the sweat away from her face to cool her off. Her expression eased a little, but aside from that, nothing changed.

Undyne wouldn't let him distract her. “Dad. Since when?”

Asgore sighed. “Since... since I told them she was on life support.”

Undyne's eye flared in shock. “Dad!” she cried, shoving her food aside. “They need to know! They _need_ to know she's okay!” She glowered at him. “Are you _drunk?!”_

Asgore frowned at her. Sure, he was a touch tipsy, but certainly not enough to cloud his judgement. “Undyne, I've hesitated because... because I wanted to be certain she'd make it.”

“She will,” Undyne answered firmly.

Asgore sighed again. “I want to be sure.”

“She _will!”_ Undyne insisted, her voice rising with her increasing anger.

“Undyne,” Asgore said, moving to rinse the cloth and use it again. “She's not well right now. She needs time to heal.”

“But don't you think telling everyone that she's safe, she's gonna make it, is better than letting them assume she's gonna die?!”

“Well...”

At that, Undyne knew, and it infuriated her. “Drop that,” she snarled, moving over to grab the bowl of water from him, too. “Why bother, if you still think she's gonna die?!”

Asgore winced, confirming her assessment, and she tore the cloth from his hand, ripping it a little. She did it in silence, which honestly hurt Asgore more: a shouting Undyne was more normal than a silent Undyne.

She knew this, which was why she did it at all. She refused to look at him, though her hands became gentle when she moved to wash Alphys's face slowly. She moved her hand over the freshly-dampened skin, feeling how hot it still was, but when she did, Alphys stirred, shocking her. She froze – as did Asgore – and after a moment, they both heard it.

“H-have t-to get up... have t-to feed th-them… N-no time f-for... sick... Get up... _get up_...” Alphys's voice was soft and thick with illness, and her eyes remained closed, but there was no mistaking the fact that she'd spoken.

But the doctor had warned Undyne of this, and she remembered his words, even as she felt hope stirring in her, hoping this meant it was over, already, that it was _all_ over...

It wasn't. It was the fever, causing Alphys to hallucinate and sleeptalk through it.

Undyne quickly collected herself and leaned down, keeping her hand on Alphys's cheek. “Alphy, they're safe,” she murmured, and again Alphys stirred, moving toward her voice. “sans is taking care of them. They're fine. You have time to be sick.”

Alphys was silent, her mouth open slightly, but soon, after a moment, her expression changed again, and she relaxed, slipping under that cloud of nothing once more.

Undyne kept her hand where it was, searching her beloved's face carefully. She didn't know what she wanted to see. She didn't know what she looked for. But she searched all the same.

“Tell them,” she murmured, her eye then moving to Asgore. “Now.”

Asgore wanted to protest, as truly, he was afraid something would still go wrong. But he also knew that to argue with Undyne right now would help no one. Therefore, in silence, he grabbed his phone and carefully typed it all out, sending it to everyone.

It took a few minutes, but then both Undyne's phone and Asgore's started to repeatedly chime and ring, and it was so sudden that neither could help it: they both laughed.

And it felt good.

* * *

Alphys ended up hallucinating a lot during her fever, something she would later admit to remembering from the last time, too. As a result, almost every hour, she would either mutter – which was fine – or shout and start trying to get up or escape – which was anything but fine.

Luckily, the latter was rare, and for the most part, Undyne found herself listening to what Alphys said, curious as well as concerned.

A lot of it was from worry and fear, she realised right away. And a lot of it was about herself.

When Undyne was alone with her, it was just falling into afternoon. Alphys had woken up in the pre-dawn hours, and fell back asleep with her fever shortly after the sun came up. She'd already murmured a great deal about the amalgamates, and had at one point went into a slight fit of panic when she couldn't get to them; her eyes even opened, though they were blank and glazed with that panic. When Undyne held her and calmed her down, she'd been quiet for hours, and Undyne figure that, maybe, Alphys was done hallucinating, completely.

“Undyne...”

Her head jerked up, her heart racing with surprise – and hope. She moved closer to the bed, reaching down and grabbing Alphys's hot hand tight, but when she looked into her face, she saw that it was drawn, her eyes were closed, and she was scared. It was another hallucination.

Before Undyne could respond, Alphys grabbed hold of her hand and cried, “Undyne! Go away! Y-you can't! You-you need...!” She claws sank into Undyne's skin. “Go, _go_...!”

“No,” Undyne answered, loud enough for Alphys to hear – she hoped. “I'm staying with you. My place is with you.”

Alphys trembled at that, her breaths going shaky. “N-no,” she pleaded. “Undyne, please. Undyne, _please_! I'm... already such... a fucking _loser_! Pl-please... d-don't see me l-like _this_...!”

Undyne's heart ached at that. She wished she knew what Alphys was seeing, because she didn't understand any of this. But instead of asking, she merely moved to sit down on the bed, pulling Alphys gently toward her lap. To her delight, Alphys immediately curled up, burying her face into her thigh and relaxing. Undyne smiled, gently stroking her forehead, and Alphys sighed deeply. She was quiet after that, for a little bit.

But it wasn't the last time it happened. Three more times, Alphys panicked, calling for Undyne, either to tell her to leave, or – and this horrified Undyne – to kill her before she fell down, like the others. But when Undyne refused and pulled her close, it stopped, and she was quiet. Clearly, despite what she was saying, Alphys truly wanted Undyne there.

So Undyne didn't leave, unless she absolutely had to. She took care of Alphys almost by herself, save some help (and gifts of food) from both Toriel and Asgore, as well as Papyrus. When anyone tried to keep her company, she either ignored them or only answered with “Uh huh,” or “Yeah,” which honestly led them all to give up and leave her to it (though Papyrus tried the hardest and longest to get her to talk more).

She couldn't help it. She knew Alphys needed her right now, even if Alphys, herself, had no clue what was even going on. And when she allowed herself to think about it, she felt hurt and frustration at the past, because she hadn’t been there for her the first time. It horrified her to think of Alphys dealing with this, alone. Undyne never had; Alphys had been the one to nurse her after each treatment.

By the end of the day, it was obvious that Alphys wouldn't wake up that day, so pretty much everyone around Undyne insisted that she went home to rest, and come back in the morning.

She understood. She knew they were right. She knew it made sense. And she knew she was overreacting.

But now, she also knew what it was like to almost lose someone in mere seconds, the moment your back was turned. She didn't want anything to happen to Alphys, and she didn't trust anyone else to watch over her. It was that simple.

Therefore, that night, they set Undyne up with a spare cot for her to sleep in, and she was very grateful for it. The moment she could, she pulled her cot right to Alphys's, lowered the railing, and moved to hold her. The moment she was in Undyne's arms, Alphys seemed to relax a little more, and it was so comforting to see.

She tried to stay up all night, but she just couldn't, especially when cuddling Alphys. She fell asleep not even an hour after lights-out, and was out like a light, herself, until morning.


	16. Chapter 16

When Undyne woke up, it was a slow process. She was still tired, despite knowing innately that she'd slept for hours. Her eyelid felt heavy, and when she focused, her whole body did, too. She felt like she could go back to sleep for several more hours, and had no idea why she was awake in the first place.

Then, slowly, she felt it: her hair being slowly brushed away from her face.

Her eye snapped open, that touch like ice-cold water, and she jumped, as the moment she did, her eye fell on her wife's.

And Alphys smiled, closing her eyes for longer than a blink. “Morning...” she whispered, moving her hand down to Undyne's cheek.

Undyne stared at her, unable to speak. For a moment, she couldn't even breathe. Then, she lunged forward, and her breath escaped her, in the form of a loud, shocked laugh. Alphys clung to her, trying to laugh, herself, but she started to cry, instead.

The door opened, then, followed by the slow, almost bored words of, “Undyne, darling, I don't care _what_ you say, you're going to eat if I have to...”

Mettaton then froze in mid-step as well as speech, holding a bag of take-out but looking like he was caught in the spotlight. “Alphys,” he whispered, before he dropped the bag and ran forward, kneeling down and grabbing hold of her – and thus, Undyne – in his arms, from right behind her.

She squeaked, the suddenly squished sensation surprising her, before she actually laughed for real, this time, reaching one hand back and patting Mettaton's arm gently. “Hi, Metta," she replied.

“Alphy,” Undyne sobbed out, smacking Mettaton's arm briefly before deciding to just ignore him and focus on her wife. “You're awake!”

“Yes,” she agreed. “And... and I feel _wonderful..._ H-how long w-was I...?”

She was cut off when Undyne grabbed her face and kissed her, a gesture that not only surprised Alphys, but also made her happy. She returned it immediately, and this was when Mettaton scowled and pulled away, moving to rescue what he could of the take-out.

Undyne pulled away slowly, her forehead pressed against Alphys's. “A day,” she said, her voice a little breathless. “Just a day. You... you're safe.”

Alphys bit her lip, her eyes closing at that. It was better than she could of ever hoped for, and that was saying something. “I... it's... it's-it's over, n-now?”

“Almost, Alphy,” Undyne replied, smiling. “But for you, yes. You're safe, love.”

Alphys buried her face into Undyne's chest and clung to her, crying harder, now. Undyne looked up, smiling over Alphys's head at Mettaton, who was sitting beside the bed now and – he couldn't help it – he smiled. Gently, he leaned down and touched Alphys's shoulder, and she grabbed his hand and held it in place.

“Th-thank you,” Alphys sobbed. _“Thank you_... I… I'm s-sorry...”

But Undyne shook her head and shushed her, smiling so much it hurt. And she welcomed it.

* * *

Alphys was probably the most stubborn monster on the entire surface.

“No,” she growled, already sitting up. She glared at the doctor and shook her head. “I'm _done_.” And to prove it, she started to turn off the IVs.

Her doctor grabbed her wrist and stopped her, making her scowl. “Yes, you're done,” he agreed, “once you're fully recovered.”

“I _am,”_ Alphys answered, tugging on her wrist.

“You're _not_. You were very, _very_ sick. I don't care how powerful this stuff is: you're staying here one more day.”

“You can't make me.”

 _“I_ can,” Undyne broke in calmly. Alphys jumped, turning to her, and immediately blushed. “Alphy,” she added, smiling a little.

Alphys lowered her head – then her hand – and sighed. “I...” she muttered, not looking at Undyne. “I just want...”

“Yeah,” Undyne agreed. “I do, too. But, Alphy... please.” Her smile suddenly vanished. “I... I can't, okay?”

Alphys looked up, confused. The doctor stepped back, nodding to Undyne, whose eye went up to him briefly with a nod of her own, before he left, leaving them to it - for the moment.

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered, grabbing her hand between hers, holding it tight. “My love, I... I…” Her voice broke, and she lowered her head, bringing Alphys's hand to her forehead.

She couldn’t help it, anymore. She'd been strong, for as long as she could, but now that they were almost home, she had to let go of it all: the pain, the fear, the agony of it all...

“Oh, god, Undyne,” Alphys whispered, immediately understanding. She sat up more and pulled Undyne to her, and Undyne didn't even fight it; she just curled up right beside her and broke down, holding onto Alphys as though for dear life.

“I'm sorry... I'm safe, Undyne...” Alphys whispered, stroking her hair slowly and kissing her between sentences. “I'm safe, okay? I'm safe, I'm here.”

Undyne burrowed closer, letting those words soak under her skin and blanket her heart, healing the cracks within it. She nodded, listening to her wife's breaths, her heart's beats, and she felt her own calm down at last.

* * *

While Undyne napped, Alphys spent the time on her laptop. Three times, three different people - Asgore, Mettaton, and sans – tried to take it away, but she fought with all three, and won. Nobody wanted to aggravate her, really, just in case.

But they had no reason to worry. Alphys was being honest when she said she felt wonderful. She felt so much better than she had in months, almost like a new monster, and she loved it.

She'd hated how weak she'd become, how she'd had to accept her inevitable death. Those months were awful to think about, so she chose not to, instead distracting herself with working on Undyne's cure.

She wanted it to be perfect. She wanted no failures.

However, when the sun was finally sinking, Alphys suddenly froze, her eyes flaring and her whole body flashing with panic.

“Fuck,” she cried, covering her mouth, her fingers trembling. _“Fuck!!”_

It woke Undyne, which was honestly the last thing she wanted, but it was too late. She felt a slightly damp and slimy hand touch her knee, and she jumped, turning to Undyne as though smacked.

“What's wrong?” Undyne asked, already wide awake and sitting up.

“Undyne… I-I… I fucked up,” Alphys stammered, her face pale. “I-I fucked up! Oh god, oh god, oh g--,”

“Alphy,” Undyne suddenly interrupted, moving closer to calm her down. It was habit, now – her eye even went to the place where the heart monitor had been – and it would take years to shake. “Calm down, love. Count your breaths.”

Alphys closed her eyes and did, surprising Undyne. But truly, it was the same for Alphys: she also found this habitual.

When she was calmer, Undyne kissed her cheek and said, “Tell me slowly.”

Alphys nodded, keeping her eyes closed. “Undyne,” she murmured. “I-I never shocked a control sample from you.”

Undyne blinked. “You mean the grey stuff?”

Alphys repeated the gesture. “I fucked up,” she repeated. “By not doing that... Undyne, it's going to mean more risk for you, and longer recovery. And...” She started shaking. “I'm scared. I’m scared I'll ruin you, even-even when all I want is to save you...”

Undyne pulled her closer and kissed her again, though her mind was racing. Without the control, Alphys was right: it would come with more risk.

“Why not just shock me now?” she wondered.

“B-because the sample would be tainted,” Alphys admitted. “You still have DT in your blood. It would taint the whole cure. Yes, in theory, your sample will have some of the original matter, but it will also hold the DT still left in your blood, thus tainting it.”

“Why?” Undyne wondered. Even if there was only a little of the grey stuff, it was still better than nothing.

“Th-that's where I fucked up, again, Undyne,” Alphys said weakly. “There... there aren't enough... there aren't enough samples left of the DT we used for you. Th-there's... only two.”

Again, Undyne didn't see the issue. “So? Shock me twice and use that to bind it like a third shot. You could split both, and have both a control, and a third shot of DT. Right?”

Alphys was quiet at that, and for a moment, Undyne wondered if she was angry. She looked down, and saw that Alphys was staring at her with... amazement.

“Undyne!” she cried, her voice breaking. _“Undyne!!”_

It was all she could really say; her shock was too immense.

Because Undyne was _right._

Alphys started laughing, before she suddenly tackled Undyne onto her cot, so hard she made it skid a little. Undyne made a noise she rarely made, a kind of squeaking noise, but Alphys kissed her and smothered it immediately.

It would take a while for Undyne to get her to explain, but this was still a nice distraction, all the same. It was happy. It made them both laugh.

It was a good precursor for their future.


	17. Chapter 17

When Alphys fell asleep that final night in the hospital, Undyne stayed awake, just watching her, for a while. She knew it was probably weird, but she really didn't care. She'd been through way too much by now to care.

Because this time, with this sleep, Alphys finally looked _normal_. She hadn't looked normal in months. While she still bore the marks of her illness (her loss of weight, her struggle to move up from slushy food to real food, and the general weakness in her limbs from being confined to a bed), all of that didn't matter.

And all because of one thing.

Alphys was _snoring._

Undyne hadn't heard that soft, grating noise in so long that the moment she did, she started to cry. She closed her eye, keeping her tears silent, as she just _listened_ to Alphys snore.

It seemed like nothing, but it was so important. Ever since she'd been shot, Alphys hadn't slept well enough or deep enough to snore at all. She was simply too sick - dying too quickly - to be that comfortable.

But now, halfway draped in Undyne's lap, her sleep heavy and healing, she finally snored, and it was that annoying sound that actually soothed Undyne, enough for her to curl up and try to sleep, herself.

Within minutes, she'd succeeded, lulled to sleep by those nasally sounds. Something that, after this moment, would be permanent habit; Undyne would never, ever be able to sleep deeply until she heard her wife start to snore. And those snores would be the lullaby that brought her to sleep alongside her.

For life.

* * *

When Undyne awoke the next morning, it was because she'd heard the words, “Okay, it's morning, I ate, I'm done. Free me.”

Undyne raised her head, and saw Alphys glaring at her doctor, an empty dish once holding “food” in front of her. She was holding up her IVed hand, waving it at him, while her other hand moved to push the railing down on her bed so that she could leave it.

The doctor noticed Undyne waking up and looked at her, his face tired. “Help,” he said to her.

Alphys jumped, turning around, then lunged for Undyne, hugging onto her so tight and tackling her so hard that, once again, Undyne's cot moved several feet across the floor. It made Undyne laugh and grab hold of her, moving her head down to kiss her – something that Alphys returned with surprising passion.

At least, until her doctor coughed, the sound breaking them apart.

“Dude,” Undyne then said to him, raising an eyebrow. “I'm not helping you. I wanna leave, too. Fuck this place.”

The doctor sighed, and she winced. “Okay,” she added. “Sorry. You really were fucking fantastic when it came to our care. I don't mean it like that, but...”

She shivered. _“Fuck_ this place, okay?”

Alphys laughed, the sound cheering Undyne up again immediately. It was a long-needed, soothing sound, one that Undyne would never tire of.

“I understand,” the doctor finally agreed. “I really do. But--,”

Alphys interrupted him, but in a way that left Undyne lost and confused: she started speaking what Undyne called “Scientisian”, and while the doctor was obviously fluent in it, Undyne sure as hell was not.

But as Undyne watched, she couldn't help but smile, the gesture a little silly. Alphys, at that moment, was blazing with passion, the kind that had made Undyne fall in love with her almost right away, the very same passion she'd seen at the abyss. She might not of been able to follow what Alphys was saying so passionately, but she could definitely enjoy watching her do so. And she did – very much.

It was yet another reminder that her Alphy was back, at last, and she cherished it – then cherished it even harder.

Eventually, though, it was clear that Alphys was winning, as the doctor was slightly wilting under her barrage of words. When she finally concluded, she held her IVed hand up again rather pointedly, and the doctor sighed again and took hold of it, setting it gently on the table before he started removing the IV.

Alphys, Undyne noticed, started wagging her tail at that moment, clearly pleased with herself, and she felt love punch her again so hard that she almost started to laugh and cry at once.

When he was done, Alphys held a ball of cotton to her hand to clot the site, and her tail became a blur, her cheeks going red and her smile widening. Undyne couldn't help it at that, anymore, and when she could, she jumped onto Alphys's cot and cuddled her from one side, resting her chin on her shoulder and holding her around her waist firmly. Alphys grinned up at her, her eyes bright, and again, Undyne had to bite back the urge to laugh-cry.

Suddenly, all Undyne could think about was getting Alphys home. She knew it was probably inappropriate, given not only Alphys's condition, but her own, but she couldn't help it; seeing Alphys like this, so happy and lively, was such a refreshing change that Undyne wanted to keep it going.

She just wanted Alphys to feel that good for as long as possible. Because, out of all of them, she'd certainly earned it the most.

Alphys suddenly went bright red, her eyes searching Undyne's face. She bit down on her bottom lip hard, but suddenly, Undyne felt her tail hook around her waist, and she grinned, something that made Alphys blush deeper, but also smile shyly.

Clearly, the feeling was mutual.

* * *

It took another hour for them to finally make it home, and that was thanks to Papyrus driving them – something he did cheerfully, despite the two of them cuddling in the backseat and making him feel like a chauffeur, something he added very pointedly when they were on their way.

“Papyrus,” Undyne said, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. “Try to see if from my perspective, okay? Would _you_ want to be apart from your lover, even in a car, for even a second, after what Alphy and I have gone through?”

He was quiet for a moment, considering. “DO YOU MEAN ‘LOVER' IN ANY SENSE, AND NOT JUST SEXUALLY?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, smiling. She'd always known that, while Papyrus was romantic as hell and had a great deal of love to give, sex just didn't really interest him. It wasn't as if it were impossible for him (soul-connection sex existed, after all), but he'd told her ages ago that sex, for him, seemed too overwhelming, too intimate, and he didn't like the idea of it. Therefore, his question made sense, even if it had been needless.

“THEN NO,” he decided. “I'D WANT TO BE ATTACHED TO MY LOVER FOR EVERY SINGLE SECOND.”

“Well, then, now you get why I'm back here with my Alphy,” Undyne concluded with a happy grin.

Alphys, who'd been slightly dozing, looked up at this. She was thinking deeply, and her cheeks went a little pink. “Papyrus,” she murmured shyly. “D-do you _have_ a lover?”

Silence met her words, but when she looked up at him, she noticed his face was slightly embarrassed. Now she was intrigued – and so was Undyne, who'd noticed, as well.

“Dude!” Undyne cried. “You do?!”

Papyrus shook his head. “NO, NOT... NOT TRULY,” he admitted, his voice softening a little. “BUT... I DO ADMIT TO SOMETIMES FEELING THAT EMOTION WHEN AROUND... SOMEONE...”

Both women were now staring at him, eager for him to go on, but he did not. If skeletons could blush, he certainly was, and he looked rather uneasy and put on the spot; obviously, he hadn't meant to admit as much.

“Oh!” Alphys suddenly cried, her face lighting up. “Oh! Oh my god! Papyrus!!”

Undyne blinked at her, confused. “What?”

Papyrus sighed. “DO NOT,” he begged of Alphys. “I'M AWARE OF HOW FOOLHARDY AND POINTLESS IT IS, DOCTOR.”

“No!” she answered quickly. “No, no, no! It's not! It's _not!_ Papyrus, look at me! Someone like me has no place with someone like Undyne--,”

“Excuse me?” Undyne snapped, immediately angry from this. “You absolutely have a place with me, Alphy!”

Alphys blushed, but went on. “In-in theory, I don't,” she amended. “I-I never thought Undyne would ever see me at all, least of all beyond a friend, and-and I always thought that her friendship was from pity, anyway!”

“Excuse me?!” Undyne repeated, her voice even angrier, now.

But Papyrus was listening to her, now. “GO ON,” he said softly.

“She was always someone beyond my touch, beyond my wildest dreams, Papyrus,” Alphys said, sitting up, her eyes blazing, now. “Always. When I first learnt of her, I knew we'd never be friends. When we did become friends, I thought it was because she felt sorry for me. When it turned out she was my real friend, I made sure never to expect anything more.”

“Alphy--!”

“CONTINUE,” Papyrus cut in. Clearly, her words meant something to him, even if Undyne was lost.

“So when Undyne actually told me she liked me, do you think I believed her, let alone felt I deserved her?” Alphys wondered, before snorting. “Hell, no! But... b-but, now... n-now...”

Finally, she looked at Undyne, who was seething, by now, and touched her damp cheek gently. Undyne's expression softened, though she was still angry at Alphys's assessment of herself. That is, until Alphys finished.

“Now,” she murmured, her eyes on Undyne's face, alone, now. “Now, I know better. Now, I know... It was never pity. It was never about deserving her. She loves me, regardless, and I love her. And... and...” To her embarrassment, her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't continue.

Undyne, however, leaned into her hand and closed her eye, covering that hand with her own to hold it in place. “Alphy, you always deserved me. _Always_. And... and...” She blushed, keeping her eye shut. “Alphy, honestly, I felt the same way...”

Alphys stared at her, completely speechless, now. She hadn't known that at all. 

Papyrus, however, was quiet, but with deep thought. Everything Alphys was saying made sense, yes. But what struck him hardest was what Undyne said: that she not only disagreed with Alphys's negative view of herself, but had shared similar, fearful thoughts.

His mind went to that one face, one that had broken down his guard, one that made him actually _feel_ those feelings he'd always _wanted_ to feel, and he felt crippling self-doubt, despite his soul blazing with that love. He then applied what Alphys – and Undyne – had said, and he felt his soul shudder.

“OH, DEAR,” he murmured, his gloved hands tightening on the steering wheel. “OH, NO.”

Alphys looked over at him again, and was delighted to see the expression on his face, one that spoke of actual hope. “Tr-trust me,” she murmured, absently rubbing Undyne's damp - and now warm - cheek. “Pl-please. I-I… I kn-know who it is, and-and… I know you... you should ask.”

Papyrus was quiet after that, for a long time. But only because, now, he was rehearsing what he wanted to say, in order to get it perfect.

“Who?” Undyne whispered, still lost.

Alphys smiled but shook her head. She would tell her later, but for now, this was Papyrus's business, not theirs.

“THANK YOU,” he then said, his voice soft and full of emotion.

By then, they were just pulling up to Alphys and Undyne's home, and that meant the conversation was now over. But many hugs and kisses were given to Papyrus, anyway, ones he loved and returned with his usual laugh and cheerfulness. In them, though, they both felt those gestures were lighter, happier, even.

When he left, Undyne and Alphys stood in front of their door for a moment, just holding each other.

“Home,” Alphys whispered. She was shaking a little. “Undyne, I… I never thought I'd ever be home, again...”

Undyne pulled her closer, her eye closing for a moment. “I'm glad you were wrong.”

“M-me too.” Alphys then looked up at her. “We're going to cure you, Undyne. The moment we get in there, I'm going to start working on it, okay?”

Undyne bit her lip, then murmured, “Alphy... can... can it wait?”

“I really shouldn't--,”

Undyne leaned down, grabbed hold of her, and kissed her, pushing her up against the door so quickly that Alphys squeaked and clung onto her, her feet unable to touch the ground, now.

But suddenly, she felt it: Undyne's heart was racing, and she trembled, even as she kept kissing her, even as she held her close.

She _needed_ Alphys. There was no other way to put it. She was desperate for her, starved for her, and now that she finally had her back, after being so sure that she would die, Undyne needed to make sure it was real.

She needed to make love with her.

Alphys understood; she felt the same way – more, even, as she was the one who'd accepted her death. So when she wrapped her legs around Undyne's waist and nodded, Undyne reached behind her and opened the door, then carried her in, pausing only once in their kiss.

Then, the door practically slammed behind them – as though closing the door on their misery, at last.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter alone upped the rating of this story from Mature to Explicit, as a warning to all of you about to read it. It's absolutely a sex chapter, and it's an intense sex chapter, in both actions and language. 
> 
> So yes. This chapter is Explicit, NSFW, and has all the sex. It's 100% skippable, but it's also really kinda sweet and emotional, too (hence "Lewff). 
> 
> Choose as you will! :3

Undyne carried Alphys right to their bedroom, not pausing once, and Alphys clung to her, quite pleased with this, as their kiss continued, too.

And it was a heated kiss, one that ignited the blood in their veins and made them desperate for each other.

It wasn't just lust. It wasn't just love. It was both, but also with a kind of shock mixed into it, a kind of close disbelief that they were together, again, after months of agony and sorrow.

The moment they fell onto the bed together, with Undyne pressing her body along Alphys's and pinning her beneath her, Alphys started crying. She didn't stop kissing Undyne, didn't stop touching her or pulling her clothes off, but she also didn't stop crying.

Undyne pulled away quickly, cupping Alphys's wet face between her hands. “Alphy?” she whispered, leaning down to try and kiss those tears away. “Honey?”

Alphys reached up and covered Undyne's hands with her own, closing her eyes tight and sobbing, now. They were both in their underwear, and Undyne had just been about to take off her own bra. But now, she couldn't continue – not like this.

Alphys felt otherwise. “Undyne, Pl-please? D-don't stop, I n-need you...” Her voice broke, and she squirmed a little, her tail hooking around Undyne's leg and tugging. “Please, Undyne, I'm-I'm _desperate_ f-for you...”

“You're crying,” Undyne whispered, leaning down and pressing her forehead to Alphys's. “I can't. Not when you're sad, sweetie...”

“N-n-no... I-I'm n-not sad... Pl-please?” Alphys begged, her eyes opening. They were full of more tears, and she tried to pull Undyne down closer, tried to kiss her, but again, Undyne stopped her.

“Yes, hon, you're crying,” Undyne answered gently, stroking her cheeks slowly. “Why are you crying?”

“I... I-I... Undyne...” Alphys's eyes closed again, and she bit her lip, choking back a sob. “Undyne...” She sat up a little and buried her face into Undyne's chest, her arms going around her neck tight. “Pl-pl- _please_...?”

“Tell me.”

“Undyne, I love you,” she cried, her voice muffled. The more she touched Undyne, the more she felt – both physically and emotionally. She felt Undyne's skin, still almost slimy and damp, and while she did feel afraid for her, she also knew that they did still have time – at least for this.

But she also felt _Undyne_ , her whole being: her heartbeat, her skin, her hair, the way her lips tasted, the sounds she made, the way she held Alphys so firmly and yet so gently...

She wanted Undyne. She wanted her more than anything else in the entire world. She'd touched death, was almost in its thrall, but because of Undyne, she’d survived. She'd woken up each time and saw Undyne's beautiful face, felt her intoxicating touch, smelt her lovely scent, and she just... she just... needed Undyne. So much.

“Undyne,” she cried, “I was going to _die_. I was _ready_ to die. I was ready to _lose_ , to let my mistakes _murder_ me, and without looking back, because I deserved it, Undyne, _I deserved it!!”_

“No!” Undyne protested, shaking her head, her own eye burning with tears. “Alphy--!”

“Listen!” Alphys insisted, looking back up at her. “I deserved it... I _thought_. I r-really did, Undyne... but... y-you...” Her voice caught. “You _fought_ for me! You fought _so hard_ for me, even while _you_ were in danger! You didn't care, Undyne, if it meant I lived! And... and n-now... and now I…”

Undyne was silent, searching her face closely, having to bite down on her lip to keep quiet. She nodded, so Alphys continued.

“I want to _live,_ Undyne!” she cried, her voice breaking. She buried her face back into Undyne's chest and trembled. “I _finally want_ to live, f-for the first time in m-my life! Be-because of _you!”_

“Alphy...” Undyne whispered, holding her wife close and rocking her slowly, her heart aching with so much love.

“I love you, Undyne,” she sobbed, her claws digging into Undyne's back. “I love you, Undyne, so _fucking_ much! Please... _please_ , Undyne... please! I _need_ you... I need to feel _alive_ , for real, with you, the way only _you_ can make me feel!”

Undyne trembled, now, her eye closed. She was smiling, so happy to hear these words, so thrilled at what she was hearing. “Alphy...” she whispered again.

“Make love with me,” Alphys begged, raising her tear-streaked face and kissing her. “Make love with me, Undyne,” she pleaded between each kiss. “Please... _please_...”

Undyne nodded, moving back down and pressing her down onto the bed, again, deepening the kiss so much that Alphys not only moaned, but shifted her hips up against Undyne's.

That was it for Undyne.

She pulled away to throw her underwear off, and Alphys took the chance to do the same for herself, both panting for breath in their need.

The moment they were naked, Undyne reached down and parted Alphys's legs, shifting them so that they intertwined with her own. Alphys closed her eyes and moved with her, reaching down between them at the same time as Undyne, so that when they shifted again, their flesh met, vulva-to-vulva, and in that moment, there was nothing else, anymore, but the two of them.

“Alphy,” Undyne growled, her hands digging into the bed beneath them, lowering them both down again so that they were flat against each other.

“Undyne, please,” Alphys whispered, before she cried out the single phrase that immediately made Undyne lose her mind. _“Fuck me, Undyne... please... please...!”_

“Yes...!” Undyne growled, before she started to move against her, starting just the way Alphys wanted – hard and fast, and without pause. She met every shift, every thrust, with a sharp, happy cry, her claws digging into Undyne's back and her heels digging into the bed, her tail tight around Undyne's thigh.

It was _exactly_ what they both needed, what they both wanted. They'd yearned not just for each other's bodies, but for this intense, physical intimacy that they also felt deep within their hearts and souls, and now that they were together, neither wanted to let go.

 _“Undyne,”_ Alphys gasped out, her whole body flashing hot. First, her skin went pink, then red, and she threw her head back and moaned, her eyes rolling up and her teeth gritting together. “Please... please... _please_...!”

Undyne nodded, tilting her head back, too, and closing her eye, moving with everything she was, making sure Alphys's body was in sync with her own. She wanted her wife to feel wonderful, loved, and yes, completely _alive_. Every time she felt their flesh touch, felt how slick and warm they both were, Undyne felt like she was getting high from Alphys, alone, and she laughed in pure delight.

Alphys was feeling the same way, and she adored it – and Undyne - with everything in her blood and soul. She suddenly laughed, too, and Undyne heard her and kissed her, moving her hands to hold her face between them.

Alphys purred, her hands slipping down to Undyne's sides, and Undyne gasped the moment her fingers touched her gills.

“Alphy!” she cried _. “Fuck!”_ But she grinned, absolutely thrilled, now, and with those practised strokes, she felt her orgasm start to grow closer. “You... your...!” She hissed it out. “Your... _ah_...!”

“S-say it,” Alphys growled, her eyes snapping open and meeting hers, something hungry and feral in her expression, even in her smile. “ _Say it, Undyne.”_

“Your... _ah_... your... _cunt_ , Alphy...!” she finally cried, sending delighted shivers through Alphys. “You feel... against mine... I just...! _Hah_... _oh_...! Alphy...!” She groaned, the sound ripping from her throat. “Fuck! Fuck me, Alphy! _Fuck me, Alphy,_ with that wonderful, _wonderful_ _cunt of yours...!”_

Alphys grinned, grabbing hold of Undyne and shoving her off, shocking her into crying out in dismay – until Alphys pushed her down onto her back and stayed on top of her, resuming their fast, intense pace with barely a second spared.

 _“Yes!”_ Undyne cried, arching against her and grabbing hold of Alphys, her whole body starting to lose control. “Alphy! Alphy, please! _Alphy, please!!”_

Alphys kissed her hungrily, then, grabbing Undyne's wrists and pinning them above her head, which really only made Undyne crazier. Against Alphys's lips, she cried out, senseless and wordless sounds that Alphys devoured with pure happiness.

And those cries were ones that Alphys knew well, by now. Undyne growled, the sound desperate and needy, before she pulled from their kiss and shouted, not just Alphys's name, but wordless cries, nonsense, desperate gibberish as she felt her orgasm crest within her – then strike her full-force.

“F- _fuck_!” Undyne keened out _. “Fuck me, Alphy--!”_ And her orgasm finally took over, the next sound coming from her a sharp, shocked sob, one that was followed by a laugh of pure ecstasy.

Alphys angled herself and slowed down slightly, in order to draw it out, and Undyne clung to her, with both her arms and her legs, now only able to say her wife's name between breaths, her face scarlet and her smile wide and overjoyed.

“Yes…” Undyne whispered then, her eye full of tears. She stiffened a little before she dropped back down, gasping for breath but looking overjoyed by it. _“Ah_... F-fuck… _fuck_...”

Alphys smiled down at her, her heart racing with joy. Undyne’s pleasure was like a high for Alphys, too, and she held her close, stroking her hair slowly and still moving a little – just a little – to make Undyne feel the best.

When she was calm – something that took a while, it was true – Undyne reached up with trembling hands and grabbed Alphys's face, pulling it down and kissing her with everything she was, everything she could, so that Alphys knew just how much Undyne loved and adored her. 

Then, Alphys grinned, and said, “M-my wonderful, wonderful cunt, huh?”

Undyne laughed, burying her face into her neck shyly. “I have no excuse, Alphy,” she admitted, her voice a hoarse whisper. “You r-really _do_ have a wonderful cunt... Holy fuck, Alphy… _holy fuck._..”

Alphys giggled, kissing her cheeks happily, before she curled up against Undyne's chest, relaxing against her with deep affection.

Undyne blinked, surprised by this. She peered down at Alphys, confused. “Alphy... are you... are you _seriously_ falling asleep?!”

Alphys looked up at her. “N-no, I...” She smiled. “I-I just... wanted to hold you while _you_ slept. In case you're too tired to continue. I understand if you are, and-and I don't mind, okay?”

“I'm _not_ done, Alphy,” Undyne answered, reaching up and grabbing hold of Alphys's shoulders. “And neither are _you.”_

Then, it was Alphys who was shoved down onto her back and pinned, and she squeaked, both with surprise and delight. Her eyes shone, and she wrapped herself around Undyne, beaming up at her.

Undyne kissed Alphys, deeply and upon her lips, before she started to move herself against Alphys, sighing deeply when she felt gentle aftershocks echo through her body.

Alphys, however, immediately relaxed beneath her, her eyes closing. She hadn't realised how close she'd been until the focus was now on herself, and now, it was all she felt.

“Oh...” she murmured against Undyne's lips, her body flashing hot again, so hot that it not only showed, but Undyne could feel it against her own skin. And for Undyne, that was wonderful, something that aroused her, too.

“ _Oh_...!” Alphys repeated, the sound strained, now. She gritted her teeth, clinging onto Undyne and arching up against her, tilting her head back and gasping.

Undyne dipped down and buried her face into the crook of Alphys's neck, kissing gently at first, before she started to bite gently. Alphys groaned, just what Undyne wanted, so she switched to the other side of her neck and bit there, too.

“ _Undyne_...” Alphys growled out, her voice lingering on her name. She couldn't speak for a moment, instead making sounds that, in any other context, she'd be embarrassed of, but right now didn't care (which was good, as Undyne absolutely adored those sounds).

“Yes...?” Undyne murmured, brushing her lips down from her neck to the middle of her chest.

“S-so... g-good...” Alphys whispered, squirming a little beneath her. “Undyne...” She gritted her teeth and moaned again, her hold on her tightening as she started to move in slightly jerky shifts. “Undyne!”

Undyne closed her lips around one of Alphys's hard nipples and flicked her tongue over it. “Fuh...!” Alphys cried. “Fuck! Undyne, f- _fuck!”_ Her voice was hoarse, each word catching in her throat.

When Undyne felt her claws bite into her back, she moved over and captured her other nipple, and that was all it took.

 _“Y-yes!!”_ Alphys exclaimed, her whole body trembling with the force of her orgasm. Her voice was high-pitched, and her feet were scrabbling against the bed as she grinded harder against Undyne. Undyne raised her head and pulled Alphys closer, meeting each desperate move with a happy grin.

Alphys was dazed, seconds from passing out, until she just surrendered to how wonderful it felt – and actually did.

Undyne didn't notice at first, thinking that Alphys had just relaxed. She leaned down and kissed her way up from Alphy's red shoulder, up her neck, then to her cheek – before she blinked.

“Uh... Alphy?” she murmured, reaching up and cupping her hand around her red cheek. Alphys was lying beneath her, breathing slowly, a slight smile still on her face, but her eyes were definitely closed, and her whole body was relaxed - no, _limp_. “Alphy...?”

Undyne frowned, then pushed herself up onto her hands, moving herself to the side so that she could get a better look at Alphys. She sat up and grabbed one of her hands, shaking it a bit, but Alphys didn't even stir.

“Alphy,” Undyne then said sharply, moving down closer and grabbing hold of both of her shoulders, shaking her firmly. “Alphy! _Alphys!!”_ She knew she was starting to panic, but she couldn't help it. Not this soon, and not like this. “Alphys, wake up!! _Wake up!!”_

When Alphys finally stirred, her hands reaching up to stop Undyne's shaking of her, she found herself immediately hugged and held close. She smiled, hugging back, about to tease her, until she realised that Undyne was shaking.

“Un... Undyne?” Alphys murmured, one hand going to her hair and running her fingers through it.

Undyne relaxed, a small sob escaping her, but she clung to Alphys all the same. Alphys bit her lip, nuzzling Undyne's cheek with her own. Undyne turned her head and kissed her, breathing in shakily between each kiss, and Alphys returned each one, understanding immediately.

“S-sorry,” she whispered, still stroking Undyne's hair.

Undyne nodded, burying her face back into her shoulder, and Alphys held her close, feeling Undyne now drift slowly into satisfied slumber.

However, even when she felt that Undyne had fallen asleep, Alphys hesitated, her eyes flaring open – and her hand stopping in mid-air. She pulled her hand away from Undyne's hair and looked at her fingertips, and she covered her mouth with her other hand to smother her cry of dismay.

Her fingertips were stained with red, like fresh paint, but she knew it wasn't paint, at all. It was Undyne's hair, only melted.

Alphys closed her eyes tight and started to cry. She was unable to stop for some time, but by then, Undyne was fast asleep, and never even knew what had happened.

Alphys was glad for it.


	19. Chapter 19

When Undyne woke up, she was alone.

She jolted the moment she understood, her hands first reaching for Alphys, and when they came up empty, she pushed herself up and got out of bed quickly, her heart suddenly panicked.

She stumbled out of the room, her mouth open to call for her—

\--only to stop and lean back against the wall, her hand over her heart in relief.

Alphys was sitting at her desk, hunched over and typing, wearing only her housecoat and glasses – but also a determined expression.

_She's fine… She's right there... She's okay..._

But she'd heard Undyne's movement and looked up quickly, only to get to her feet and race over to her, reaching up to cup her face between her hands. Undyne was pale, and her eye closed the moment Alphys touched her.

“Undyne?” Alphys asked softly, moving to stand on the tips of her toes, so that she could look at her better.

Undyne didn't answer; instead, she grabbed Alphys into her arms, burying her face into her shoulder, shivering. Alphys was stunned, confused, but she held her in return, kissing her cheek gently.

_She's safe, she's safe... She's alive... She's alive..._

Undyne closed her eye tight. She wondered, now, just how long it would take her to finally calm down, to not panic when she woke up alone. She was so scarred from it all, so terrified of losing Alphys in seconds, that she didn't even want to let her go, now, despite knowing she truly was safe.

Alphys felt her trembling and was worried, misunderstanding it. “Undyne, what's wrong? Are you feeling weak? Come on, let's get you back to bed--,”

She moved to lead Undyne back to their bedroom, but Undyne stopped her quickly, pulling her back into her arms and just clinging to her. Alphys was worried, now, but she stayed quiet for a moment, kissing Undyne's cheek again and nuzzling close.

In that whole moment, Undyne struggled not to cry. She was so relieved to be holding Alphys, and in their own home, too. It felt like a dream, a beautiful dream, and she was terrified that she'd wake up in the hospital, beside Alphys, who was minutes from dying...

She sobbed at that image, unable to hold back.

In that small sound, Alphys suddenly understood. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, swallowing hard to hold her own tears back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and Undyne shuddered. “I'm _so_ sorry. I’m here.” Undyne nodded, clinging onto her tighter, and again, they just... stood there, holding each other tight.

Then, Alphys whispered, “Aren't you cold?”

Undyne blinked her eye open slowly; she was, actually, as she'd forgotten she was naked in her haste to find Alphys. She nodded, and Alphys again started to pull her back to their bedroom – and this time, she obeyed.

With such gentleness, Alphys found Undyne's robe and helped Undyne slip it on; by now, Undyne was shivering so hard it shook her whole body, but she knew it wasn't just cold, but also fear. She was still spooked by Alphys not being there when she had woken up, still upset that she'd been terrified by that simple absence.

She was so scared of losing Alphys, even when she knew she should be focusing on herself.

When Alphys stood on her toes and kissed Undyne gently on her still-pale lips, Undyne shut her eye tight and grabbed onto her, returning the kiss deeper than Alphys had intended and pulled her up higher, feeling almost desperate, now.

“Alphy,” she whispered, and Alphys nodded, gasping a little when Undyne slipped her head down and nibbled her neck gently. “Alphy, please... Alphy... please?”

“I-I-I... oh... _mm_...” Alphys stumbled, but Undyne grabbed her by her rear and kept her on her feet. “I-I n-need to... I n-need to w-work on your... your c-cure...”

Undyne froze, those words crashing into her more effectively than a cold shower. She pulled away slowly and set Alphys back down on her feet, and for a moment, they just embraced, both calming down and comforting each other.

“Y-yeah,” Undyne whispered hoarsely. “Alphy, I... I'm so fucking sorry...”

Alphys reached up and stroked her hair slowly, nodding. “Pl-please don't be sorry,” she pleaded. “I-I understand. But...” She flinched, then leaned back down on her feet, lowering her hand and holding it up between them, so that Undyne could see.

Her hand was slick and red, and it trembled. Undyne stared at it, shaking her head slowly in surprise. “That... that's...?”

Alphys nodded, her eyes full of tears. “Yes,” she agreed. “We... we can’t wait, any-anymore, Undyne...”

“No,” Undyne agreed. She looked down at Alphys, her eye wide and frightened. “Alphy, please, tell me how I can help you? If at all?”

Alphys smiled up at her. “You can.”

She took her hand and led her to her desk, sitting them both down. Alphys showed her what was on the screen, explaining what was on it, and Undyne nodded slowly. The way that Alphys spoke was in a way that Undyne could easily follow, and she loved that patience.

“So...” Undyne said when she was finished, her eye on the screen, still. “This will work.”

“Yes!” Alphys agreed, taking her hands into her own. “All because of _you_ , Undyne! _You_ were the one who told me how!”

Undyne blinked, startled by how sincerely Alphys was saying this – although she was flattered by her beaming at her with pure joy. “It was just...”

“Exactly what I needed, Undyne,” Alphys finished when Undyne did not. “Thank you.” She paused, then kissed both of Undyne's palms before continuing. “Do you think... you're ready to go to the Lab? To start? To-today?”

Undyne wanted to protest, wishing they could just spend the rest of the day in bed... until she remembered how red Alphys's hand had been, and she swallowed those protests.

“Yes,” she nodded. “The sooner we do this, the better.”

Alphys leapt up and hugged her tight, kissing her cheeks before burying her face into her neck. She trembled, and Undyne held her tight, closing her eye.

“We're gonna be okay, Alphy, okay?” she then promised softly, rubbing Alphys's back. “I promise.”

“M-me, too,” Alphys whispered, her voice muffled. “I will do everything in my soul to cure you, Undyne.”

“I believe you,” Undyne agreed, feeling a small smile come to her – something that surprised her, after all of this. “And, I love you.”

Alphys cuddled onto her tighter, nodding. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice choked, now.

For a while, they held each other like that, so happy and comforted by the other. Then, Undyne murmured, “Let's get dressed, and get this done.”

In her voice was the determination they shared, and with it, they both got up and went, together.

Neither wanted to be too far apart from each other for long – even now.


	20. Chapter 20

Undyne was wary, and it showed. She looked up at the DT Extraction Machine and swallowed hard, her hands clenched at her sides to mask their shaking.

Alphys was busy booting up the machine, then pulling out the needed materials and setting them up to the machine. She, too, was trying to hide the fact that her hands shook, but she still managed to keep everything together and press all of he right buttons.

She pulled the two last vials of the same DT that they had used on Undyne and made sure that, even now, they were still good. She knew she was being silly, because her own sample had worked fine, but she wanted to be absolutely certain with Undyne.

“So...” Undyne said slowly, breaking Alphys from her reverie. “Two shocks, yeah?”

“Yes,” Alphys agreed, pulling out two more empty vials, then an empty beaker. “For a minute apiece. I’m sorry.”

Undyne bit her lip, then murmured, “Will it hurt?”

Alphys looked up, then put everything aside, going over to Undyne, instead. She wrapped her arms around Undyne's waist from behind her, and she felt Undyne relax a little.

“Y-yes,” Alphys whispered. “It hurt me a little when I did it, but I also use electricity magic, so was able to ease it. But... I imagine it will hurt you more... I-I... I'm sorry.”

Undyne was quiet for a bit, before she nodded. “Okay. Thank you for being honest, Alphy.”

“We'll take spaces between, until you feel better, enough to continue, okay?” Alphys promised. Undyne nodded, actually relieved to hear this. “It's only twice. I promise.” Undyne repeated the gesture, and Alphys hugged her, tighter, this time.

“Just tell me when you're ready, and we'll start,” Alphys then said, pulling away slowly to go back to the desk, then the control panel. “Take your time.”

“Fuck it,” Undyne answered, jumping up onto the metal gurney and lying down on it. She left footprints, sticky and fresh, on the floor beneath her, but she was determined to ignore it. She laid down on her back and rested her hands on her middle, shutting her eye. “Go.”

Alphys blinked, a sudden sinking in her belly when she saw Undyne there. But then, she saw the look on Undyne's face, and she swallowed and nodded. “Okay,” she said, just managing to keep her voice steady. Her claws went over to the panel, pushing down a few buttons, before she stopped.

“Five seconds,” she then said.

Undyne mentally braced herself, her hands clenching so hard that her nails dug into her palms. She gritted her teeth, listening as Alphys counted down, and the moment she hit one, she tensed.

Immediately after, the machine roared to life, and Undyne felt the electricity slam into her. She gasped; it hurt like hell, like every cell of her body was being stabbed. It took everything she had to keep herself from screaming it out; she was _not_ expecting this at all, and she had to endure _two_ minutes of this?!

Suddenly, though, her mind went to Alphys, and she felt a shock of a different kind.

Alphys had done all of this alone. _All alone_. By herself and with no one to help her. She'd only done it once, but Undyne was still in _her_ first round and it was _horrific_. She knew Alphys said she'd been able to deflect most of it with her magic, but even _she_ knew that Alphys wasn't _that_ good with her magic; she'd felt this, too.

And Alphys was nowhere near as strong as Undyne – even an Undyne in this weakened state.

So to feel this, and to put herself into Alphys's body while she'd done so, she managed to keep herself as quiet as possible. She even had to struggle not to cry - not cry _out_ , but _cry_ – when imagining Alphys doing this.

She hated it. She hated feeling it, and she hated picturing Alphys feeling it.

Alphys trembled for the entire minute, watching the seconds go by and wishing they'd go faster. From the corner of her eye, she saw the vial hooked up to the machine fill up, but she focused on the seconds.

_Hurry, hurry, please, damn you, hurry!!_

Then, it finally got there, and she slammed her palm on the button as soon as it did. The machine stopped, and Undyne collapsed, panting for breath.

Alphys ran to her side, touching her cheek gently. “Undyne?” she cried, her other hand going to her throat, feeling for a pulse. She couldn't help it; Undyne was a water monster, a fish monster, and electricity could be as fatal as heat...

“Mmrgh,” Undyne groaned, reaching up and touching her hand to Alphys's, pressing her hand closer to her cheek. “That fucking _sucked_...”

Alphys laughed, the sound small and choked, but she felt better. She leaned down and hugged onto Undyne tight, rubbing her back. Undyne curled up against her chest, relaxing against her, sighing.

“Take as much time as you need, okay?” Alphys said gently. “As long as you need.”

“Alphy...” Undyne growled, her eye shut. Alphys nodded, expecting her to either complain, or tell her she was ready. Instead, she said, “…why did you do it?”

Alphys blinked, confused. “Do what?”

Undyne's eye opened and met Alphys's. Its colour was dark, still ripped with black. “Why did you _do this_ to yourself? It... it hurt so _fucking much.._.!”

Alphys winced. “Undyne…”

“Did you _know_ it would hurt you, Alphy?” she demanded.

“Yes,” Alphys answered, her voice strangely flat. “But I knew I would be okay.”

Undyne's eye flared, and she glared up at her. “Liar!” she snapped. She always knew when Alphys lied.

Alphys winced again. She'd forgotten that Undyne knew her that well. “O-okay,” she murmured. “I didn't know. But... I _did_ know that I had to try, n-no matter what, if it meant saving those lives...”

Undyne bit her lip; Alphys looked seconds away from crying, clearly ashamed by this admission, and she felt terrible for causing that.

“Alphy,” Undyne said, her voice small. “Never, _ever_ do this to yourself, _ever_ again.”

Alphys nodded, leaning down and kissing her forehead. “I won't.”

Undyne nodded, too. She believed her, especially now. “Did... did it work?” she wondered.

Alphys paused, then turned, looking down at the vial. She the blinked, before her eyes flared and she ran toward it, jarring Undyne to the point of almost falling off.

Alphys knelt down and stared at the vial, her breaths going short in shock. There, within the vial, were two colours: green and grey. They didn't touch, instead either bubbling away from each other or swirling in slight, opposing typhoons. Quickly, she ran an analysis on them both, and the answer she got made her laugh.

“Undyne!” she sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand, the other picking the vial up carefully. “ _You are a genius!!"_

Undyne raised her head (she'd laid back down when Alphys had run off) and looked. She sat up in surprise, and Alphys moved back to her and showed her.

“You were right!” Alphys sobbed. “It's _exactly_ 50/50 ratio of DT! You were right, Undyne! I love you!!” She flung her arms around her neck and hugged her, so tight that Undyne coughed – before she started laughing.

“Well,” she wheezed out. “It was bound to happen: nerdiness is probably something transferred during sex--,”

“Undyne!” Alphys cried, before she laughed; it was a pretty good joke.

Then, Alphys blinked down at her, sombre. “Are you ready? For the last one?” she asked.

Undyne took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Let's get it done.”

Alphys leaned down and kissed her, right on her lips, for a moment, affection and worry crashing into her so hard that she felt she needed to. Undyne returned it, touching her cheek again and smiling faintly; she understood.

Then, Alphys set the full vial aside, before prepping the other one. Undyne laid back down and replaced her arms, feeling her hands shake a little, before she shut her eye.

“On five.”

Undyne nodded, and silently, counted down with Alphys. When it got to one, she tensed – and was again thrown into blind, painful hell.

This time, she focused on ignoring it all, instead thinking about what it would be like once this was all over, once everything was back to normal...

In that, it went by quickly, and was over before Undyne even knew it. It confused her, even, wondering if something had gone wrong with the machine.

But, no; Alphys was smiling again, leaning down to extract the second, now-full vial. She was crying, but her smile was real, and soon, Undyne was told why.

“Perfect 50/50 DT split!” she cried, setting it with the first, before she leaned against the panel and burst into tears.

“Alphy?” Undyne called, sitting up, slowly. She still hurt like hell, but to her, Alphys came first. Alphys nodded, then shuffled over, leaned down, and pressed her forehead to Undyne's. Undyne gathered her close, and they embraced, both of them in tears, now.

“Undyne, if-if you hadn't told me...”

“Hey, _you're_ the one who's smart enough to do it. I just tried to think like you…”

“But I _hadn't_ thought about...”

“Alphy...”

“Undyne…”

Then, silence, as their embrace grew into a kiss, one that didn't stop for quite some time – and neither minded.


	21. Chapter 21

They had supper together before they went back, once Alphys had finished prepping all three serums. Undyne needed the food desperately after what had happened, and Alphys honestly needed a break; seeing Undyne electrocuted twice had been _horrible_.

“So,” Undyne said between mouthfuls. “When should we do the first shot?”

Alphys paled, lowering her gaze to her plate. She remembered last time, and didn't like the fact that they had to do it, again.

But then, the closer she looked at Undyne, the more evidence she saw of her deterioration, and she knew she couldn't let her personal feelings decide.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, instead.

Undyne made a face. “Tired, after _that_. But... if I look inward, I feel...” Her expression changed, and it fell. “Alphy, I feel it.”

Alphys blinked. “What do you feel?”

“I can feel myself… start to break apart,” Undyne admitted, her voice soft, now. “It's not a huge amount, but I feel it. It... it scares me, Alphy.” She looked up. “Can we... start tonight?”

Alphys relaxed, nodding. “Y-yes,” she agreed, relieved. “I-I... I was hoping you'd want to.”

Undyne smiled, her relief obvious, now, too. “Okay. Let's eat and get it done.”

Alphys agreed.

* * *

They decided that, since they could, they'd give Undyne the shots in their own home, so that Alphys could not only take care of her, but that Undyne could also recover in a place of comfort.

Therefore, when she curled up on their bed, she sighed deeply, smiling. Alphys was puzzled, as she now had the syringe ready and was about to inject her. “Uh...”

Undyne looked up at her. “I just... think _this_ is way better than it ever had been before, because we're... actually together.”

Alphys blushed, the leaned down and touched her cheek. “Yeah,” she agreed, smiling faintly. “And I'll be here the entire time, okay?”

Undyne touched her knee and nodded. “I know, Alphy.”

“Okay,” Alphys murmured, now cleaning her upper arm. Undyne swallowed and looked up at her, keeping her eye on her wife's face and letting it soothe her.

Then, Alphys lowered the needle to that part, gently pushed it beneath her skin, and injected it.

Undyne's eye flared, her whole body feeling a rush of intensity. She reached up and grabbed Alphys's arm, startling her, and she jumped and looked down at her. She was about to ask what was wrong, but Undyne instead cried, “Alphy, make love with me!”

Alphys stared at her, barely able to put down the syringe before Undyne grabbed her arm and tugged on her.

“Alphy, I couldn't do this before, when we first did this, but I wanted to so badly that I masturbated the second you left me alone,” Undyne blurted out, her face crimson and her eye wide and almost wild. “ _Each. Fucking. Time, Alphy!”_

Alphys stared at her. “Undyne, this won't last more than an hour!”

“Yeah, yeah, _yeah_ , exactly!” Undyne cried, throwing her arms around Alphys's waist and pulling her onto the bed. “C'mon, Alphy, please! _Please_! I want you _, I want you!”_

Alphys suddenly laughed. “But--?”

“No, just yours!” Undyne cried, grabbing hold of her face and pulling her down. “Fuck me, fuck me, _fuck me!”_

Alphys laughed again and moved down closer, straddling her and kissing her right away. Undyne nodded and clutched her closer, already tugging Alphys's clothes off, each breath Alphys's name interspersed with either “Fuck me” or “Yes, _yes_!”

It was certainly an intense, productive hour.

* * *

After, they were lying down together, tangled in a cuddle of love and bliss.

When Alphys looked down at Undyne, she whispered, “Are you feeling okay?”

“ _Hhhhhhrngh_ ,” Undyne growled, burying her face into Alphys's chest.

“Undyne, did you...?” Alphys blushed. “Did you _really_ masturbate thinking of me last time, _each_ time?”

“ _Yesssss_...” Undyne replied, grinning happily. “I couldn't just ask you to fuck me, back then...”

Alphys blushed deeper. “I would have said yes,” she admitted shyly. “That was... that was _amazing_...”

Undyne laughed, kissing Alphys's chest and moving closer to her, closing her eye.

For a nice, peaceful repose, they stayed that way, holding each other close and listening to each other breathe, those nice, post-coital sounds that were almost like a lullaby.

Then, suddenly, Alphys noticed that Undyne's breathing was changing, and her body wasn't cooling off, but heating up. She looked down, and saw that Undyne's face was still red, but her smile was gone, and her eye was shut tight.

“Undyne?” she murmured, shifting so that she could see her better.

“Alphy...” Undyne whispered, her voice wavering. “I... I... don't feel... I don't feel good...”

Alphys nodded, leaning down and kissing her forehead, before she very carefully slipped out from beneath her and got dressed, again, quickly, swallowing her emotions in order to keep calm.

When she knelt down beside the bed and looked at Undyne, her wife was already shivering, her face still bright red and her breaths raspy and shallow. Alphys took hold of one of her hands, feeling that it was hot and dry.

“Undyne, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand?” she murmured. When Undyne did not – she didn't even stir – Alphys shut her eyes and lowered her head a little. “Okay,” she whispered.

She stood up, wrapped Undyne beneath the blankets, and began Undyne's care.

* * *

Like Alphys, because the serum was already attuned to Undyne, it didn't take as long: only a night and a day.

But it wasn't easy; Undyne was already very sick, despite not really showing it, and was already weakened from the shocks. The night had been the worst, because it was when the shot was working the most – and Undyne was just as delirious as Alphys had been, if not worse.

“N-no...” Undyne groaned out, slapping at Alphys's hand as she tried to mop her sweaty brow. “ _No_...! I... I d-don’t… I-I _won't_... die...!!”

Alphys leaned down and stroked her hair slowly, murmuring, “No, you won't, Undyne. I won't let you. I’m right here, and I won't let you die. Ever.”

“The... th-the hu-human...!” Undyne snarled, trying to push Alphys away. “Pl- _please_...! Don't let them get Alphy!” And suddenly, that was all she could say. “Don't let them get Alphy!! _Don't let them get Alphy!!”_

“Shh...” Alphys whispered. “I'm right here. I'm safe, Undyne, I'm right here with you, I'm safe.”

Undyne froze, gasping for breath. Her eye was shut tight, and she was covered in panicked sweat. “Al-Alphy...?” she whispered, her voice a small, mewl of a sound. “Alphy? Love?” She then reached up, her hand trembling, and Alphys took it and placed it upon her cheek.

The moment her palm cupped around Alphys's cheek, Undyne suddenly relaxed. She sobbed out softly, a small smile curling around her lips. “ _Alphy_ ,” she repeated, her voice so happy and so relieved that Alphys's eyes filled with tears. “My Alphy...”

“Yes, Undyne,” Alphys agreed, rubbing her hand slowly. “I'm here, and I'm yours, okay? We're safe.”

Undyne nodded, curling up again in their bed, drifting off again beneath it all. Her hand dropped from Alphys's cheek, but Alphys kept it held between her own for a long, long time.

* * *

Alphys ended up staying awake all night with Undyne. She couldn't help it. She hated seeing her this way, and didn't want to miss it anytime Undyne needed her for anything, whatever it might be.

By the morning, she was exhausted, and was uncertain if she could keep going at the rate she was. Luckily, Undyne fell into a kind of lull, one that left her merely twitching a few times instead of hallucinating, so in that lull, Alphys managed to snag a few hours of sleep, often broken by Undyne moving; Alphys was so alert that even the slightest move woke her.

She forgot to eat, instead making sure that Undyne got some broth down – a difficult act in itself, as Undyne fought her for a bit before realising that it wasn't going to hurt her.

But because of this intensive care (Alphys even changed the bedsheets and sponge-bathed Undyne when she needed it), Undyne woke up in the late afternoon, confused and in pain – but looking better than she did before the injection.

When her eye opened halfway and actually focused on Alphys's face, Alphys was startled: the black ring, so prominent in that eye for weeks, now, had shrunk down, almost a third in size – maybe more.

And when that eye fully focused, and didn't have the haze of delusion or fear over it, Alphys sobbed, covering her mouth to shut herself up. Undyne moved closer, reaching up and touching Alphys's pale cheek, and Alphys grabbed it, holding it in place with both hands.

“Hey,” Undyne murmured. Her voice was hoarse, and her whole body felt achy and chewed up, but her mind felt alert – if exhausted. When Alphys nodded, sniffling, Undyne smiled a little. “Chill out, nerd,” she added gently. “We still have two more times to go.”

Alphys nodded again, her eyes still closed, still weeping. But she clutched Undyne's hand to her cheek so hard that her claws dug in, and with that, Undyne understood.

“C'mere,” she murmured, and Alphys immediately slipped into her embrace, clinging onto her tight. They both cried, then, both from relief – and frustration that this wasn't over, yet.

But it would be. And sooner than they planned, too.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning for this chapter, for accidental and almost fatal domestic violence. Please read with caution.

Two more times, they went through it, together.

Alphys truly was able to make the proper serums with the amount of material shocked from Undyne, despite it almost being contaminated, but because they were small amounts in comparison to the actual doses, none were as effective as they'd been for Alphys. They managed to finish it in just under three weeks.

Yet, despite that potentially dangerous flaw, Undyne's two remaining treatments lasted two days and one night, and one day and one night, respectively.

Alphys knew enough about DT to know that this would be unusual – for anyone except her wife. Undyne was a monster hell-bent and determined – in _all_ ways, now – to shake off weakness in order to quickly replace it with strength. Thanks to Alphys's work – but mostly thanks to Undyne's offhand suggestion – she shook it all off in mere weeks.

But that last night was the hardest one out of all them combined. And what made it worse was that it was not only the last night, but the end of Undyne's last fever.

And it almost killed Alphys.

* * *

Alphys had dropped in a doze, one that would cease the moment she sensed a change in Undyne's condition. But in this moment, she was so exhausted that she didn't wake up until much, much too late.

She woke to the sound of, _“Get away from her!”_

Then, before she could even say anything, she felt strong, cold - and achingly familiar - hands grab her around the throat – and start to strangle her.

Alphys struggled to breathe, her eyes opening so wide that she couldn't help how much they bugged out. She reached up and started clawing and scratching at the arms now before her, but she made no difference. Moments later, she felt herself pushed down harder onto the bed, the grip of those hands strengthening, and her vision began to blur. She couldn't even speak; when she tried, all she got out were strained, muted sounds, not even close to speech.

Alphys shut her eyes, desperate to breathe, now, but she couldn't; she couldn't even _move_ , no matter how hard she tried (and she _did_ try, so hard that her eyes, when she could even open them, shone bright yellow), no matter how hard she scratched, no matter how desperately she tried to break free...

 _“You will not touch her!_ I'll _kill_ you before you can even _look_ at her!!”

And with that, Alphys realised what was happening.

With tears running down her face, her vision fading quickly, she stopped scratching and reached up, closing her trembling hands around Undyne's pale, tear-streaked cheeks. She tried to speak again, but failed, unable to even make a sound, now.

Undyne, whose eye was open but blank with fever and delusion, twitched angrily, her mouth an intense, furious snarl. " _Don't touch me!”_ she shouted, jerking her head out of her reach. “Don't touch _me_ , don't touch _her_!! I’ll fucking _kill you!!”_

Alphys's hands fell, limp and heavy, to her sides, her eyes closed again, unable to help it, now. She couldn't keep them open. She couldn't even think too well. She was trapped, and she couldn't get either of them free.

She was losing her hold on her life fast, and at the literal hands of her own wife.

In her last seconds of consciousness, she shakily reached out with her tail and hooked it around Undyne's shin, trying to pull on it, but all she could do was keep it on loosely, its grasp lessening the longer Undyne strangled her.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't make a sound.

She knew she was dying.

And the worst part was that Undyne didn't even _know_ she was killing her.

She felt that darkness closing in on her, fast, and even though she tried to fight it, without control, she succumbed to it, and let that darkness smother her. 

It was then that Undyne's eye suddenly flared in shock.

The feel of that tail upon her skin sent a jolt through her, its familiar touch finally shattering her nightmare, and she gasped, jerking away quickly and stumbling back onto the bed and off of Alphys, her hands held up and away from her.

But Alphys didn't move, even now that she was free.

It was too late.

Undyne, fully lucid and awake, now, cried out and went back to Alphys, her fingers quickly going back to her already-bruised throat, but far gentler, this time. Then, she lowered her ear to Alphys's chest and listened, tears already running down her cheeks, her breaths broken and panicked.

Alphys wasn't breathing, and her heart beat weakly, only a few beats away from giving up.

“No...!” she sobbed. “ _No!! Alphy!!”_

She sat up for a moment, close to blind panic, before she managed to grab hold of her senses. Only then could she lean back down and press her lips to her wife's already-cold ones, tilting her head back and plugging her nose as she breathed in.

It took her several times, but she didn't pause, sobbing Alphys's name between each breath. 

After a few of those desperate tries, Alphys jolted, gasping, before she coughed weakly. She didn't - couldn't - move, but she gulped the air in greedily, knowing only that she needed air and didn't care how she got it, as long as she did.

“Alphy!” Undyne cried, leaning down and hugging her tight, holding her close to her chest and rocking her, slowly.

Alphys leaned against her weakly, still gasping for breath, her whole body heavy with weakness.

“Oh god, _Alphy_ , I'm so sorry! _I’m so fucking sorry!_ Please, Alphy, _please_! Say something! _Alphy_?!” Undyne's voice broke. 

Alphys could hear her better the longer she breathed, and she could easily hear her panic. She tried to speak, but only soft, hoarse squeaks escaping her, and they _hurt_.

She struggled to form them into words, but all she got out was, “ _I-I... unner... unnderstan...”_

Because she _did_. She absolutely understood.

It _wasn't_ Undyne's fault, not at all; there was no way she could have been able to control her actions in her delirium, and Alphys was the closest thing to a target - the _only_ target, really.

“Alphy, I'm sorry, _I'm sorry!”_ Undyne sobbed, horror flooding through her body and making her tremor and want to throw up. “It-it was... All I could see was them _killing_ you...! I _had_ to stop them, but I didn't know, Alphy! _I didn't know that I was the one killing you!”_

Her voice broke painfully, and she buried her face into the top of Alphys's cold head, kissing there over and over, still rocking her and rubbing her back.

Alphys surprised her, then: she nodded slowly, then managed to slip her arms around Undyne's waist loosely, unable to speak too well, still. Her arms shook, as did her hands, but she didn't let go. Her throat hurt, and she knew that if Undyne had kept it going for mere seconds longer, her windpipe would've snapped, and she'd be dead – that was how strong Undyne was.

Especially now, as she was finally free of the last fugue of her cure, and had her full strength back, at last - _more_ , actually.

For that moment, Undyne was trapped in her shame and terror, sobbing so hard that they both trembled from the violence of her grief. She was _horrified_ , the mental images of what she'd done - and _could_ have done - striking her over and over, and she couldn't help it. It was like an hallucination all in itself, and suddenly she wished - _hoped_ , _yearned_ – that _this_ was the hallucination, and she _hadn't_ just tried to murder her Alphy...

But she knew it wasn't. She was awake, and she knew it. She could hear Alphys's laboured breathing, feel her shaking from shock and weakness, and knew it was real.

_Too real._

Then, Alphys whispered, “L-love... I-I'm... ok-okay... I under-understand... Pl-please, Undyne...?”

“Hospital,” Undyne suddenly cried, picking Alphys up into her arms and moving to get up from the bed, already moving toward the hall.

“N-no!” Alphys protested quickly, placing her hand on Undyne's - still-naked - chest. “Tori... Toriel?”

She didn't say it, but Alphys didn't want to go to a hospital at all. She was scared that if they did, and the story came out, the staff would misunderstand and call the police to arrest Undyne, for domestic abuse - or attempted murder. That in itself was Alphys's nightmare, and she refused to let it come true. 

Undyne froze, then nodded, moving back to their bed and lying Alphys back down on it. Alphys curled up, reaching out and placing her hand on Undyne's knee, but she kept her eyes closed, and she was still trembling. Undyne curled up next to her, her phone already at her ear as she spoke tearfully with Toriel. She was too ashamed to tell her what happened, but not enough to beg for her to help them.

For that moment, Alphys let herself doze, again. Her throat was so sore, throbbing with every heartbeat, and her body felt so weak and drained. She let it wash over her and tried to rest, hoping that sleep would help heal her faster. When Undyne moved to hold her, that felt even better, and she drifted off, comforted.

When Toriel arrived, Undyne had pulled on her robe and met her at the door, practically dragging her in and to the bedroom.

“Undyne, _what_ are you doing out of bed?” was how Toriel greeted her.

“Who fucking cares?! Please, just help _Alphy_!” Undyne snarled, tugging on her hand so hard that the old queen stumbled.

“Goodness, Alphys, are you alright?!" Toriel cried the moment she saw her, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hand. “Undyne, what happened to her, dear?”

Undyne, who was leaning against the doorway, covered her face and sobbed, shaking her head.

Alphys opened her eyes slowly when Toriel touched her hand, revealing them to be bloodshot and rimmed with red. She smiled faintly, but her lips quivered, and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't help it; despite knowing it wasn't Undyne's fault, it – not Undyne, but her attack – had still frightened her.

Toriel, upon seeing her eyes, knew what that meant, and only managed to figure out how when she heard Undyne sobbing. She put it all together and touched Alphys's cheek softly. “Hallucination?”

“Sh-she didn't kn-know,” Alphys whispered. “It-it wasn't... h-her... f-fault, To-Toriel...”

Undyne slid down onto the floor and curled up, crying against her knees, when she heard this.

Undyne knew it was true, and that Alphys was right. She'd been trapped, seeing a human child - Frisk, but not _really_ Frisk – running toward Hotland with a knife in their hand and a crazed, dust-thirsty smile on their face, one the Frisk she knew would never wear. She'd managed to tackle them, to stop them from getting any further in their murderous rampage, and in her rage, she started strangling them.

But she'd been strangling _Alphys_ , the one she'd been trying to _save_.

Now, all she could see were her own hands, closed around her wife's neck, choking the life out of her in a crazed haze of a nightmare, and she wanted to punch herself out.

“Goodness; you poor child,” Toriel murmured, moving Alphys onto her back carefully and sitting down beside her on the bed. Alphys barely moved, her very breaths hurting her throat, and she couldn't open her eyes for very long. 

Toriel held her hand over Alphys's throat, a glitter of purple magic sparking to life and disappearing under her skin. It eased the pain and soothed Alphys the second it did, and she sighed in relief, relaxing. Her throat was visibly marked, now, and would likely worsen with time.

Toriel frowned, then pulled her hand away. She could only ease the pain, but not heal it, as the damage was done without magic.

“Alphys, your windpipe is bruised, but intact. You show no other signs of internal damage, save terrible bruising, and the strength of the attack is something that will give you pain for days.” Toriel said it gently, stroking her forehead slowly. “You need to rest, to recover."

“N-no...” Alphys protested weakly. “U-Undyne... _she_ n-needs  _me_ t-to... she's still...”

Toriel glanced at Undyne, who was still crying, and eyed her closely. She looked a little pale, and clearly still tired (it _was_ very late into the night, after all), but Toriel could also sense the fact that her magical capacity had returned to normal, and could sense that she was in far better health, a kind that she hadn't been in for months. 

Clearly, that hallucination had been her last, and with its purge, Undyne was now fully cured. Perhaps that should have been obvious in the strength of her attack, too.

Undyne raised her head when Alphys spoke, and she met Toriel's gaze. Then, Toriel smiled. “Alphys, I think _Undyne_ is the one who needs to take care of _you_ , now.”

Undyne rose to her feet, nodding, walking over to them and sitting down next to Toriel. With a trembling hand, she reached out and touched Alphys's cheek.

Instead of flinching, like Undyne had expected and feared, Alphys leaned into it, sighing deeply and contentedly. Then, she reached up and covered Undyne's hand with her own, and Undyne sobbed, leaning down and hugging her tight. Alphys curled into her arms without hesitation, and again, Undyne sobbed.

Toriel hugged them both. “I would recommend that you try not to speak as much as possible, Alphys,” she said. “And stick to eating soft foods until you can swallow without pain, okay? Also, if you do not show improvement in a day, you need to go to the hospital. Understand?"

“O-okay,” Alphys agreed.

“Shut up,” Undyne answered. “Don't talk!”

Toriel smiled. “I'll leave you to it.”

She paused, then touched Undyne's shoulder, squeezing it, smiling gently and with genuine kindness. “Undyne, dear? Welcome back.”

Undyne nodded, unable to answer, despite being deeply touched by those words. She did reach up and cover Toriel's hand with her own, before Toriel withdrew it and left, making sure to close the door tight behind her.

“I’m sorry!” Undyne sobbed. “Alphy, I'm _so_ _sorry_! I thought... I thought _you_ were _Frisk_ , who _wasn't_ Frisk, who'd killed Papyrus and _everyone_ and was gonna kill _you_! But it doesn't excuse my--,”

“It d-does,” Alphys broke in gently.

 _“Shut up, Alphys!”_ Undyne shouted, before she just dropped down beside her, pulling her as close as possible into her arms without hurting her, and burst into horrified, self-loathing tears.

Alphys _did_ shut up, but only to comfort Undyne as best as she could.

It took a long, long time, but soon, Undyne calmed, her tears spent. She stayed at Alphys's side, her eye swollen closed, as Alphys slowly ran her fingers through Undyne's hair to soothe and comfort her.

This time, when Alphys pulled them away and glanced at her hand, there were no traces of residue – just a couple of stray hairs.

Alphys stared at them, then broke down with tears.

Undyne jumped, shifting closer to her in fear, but Alphys was smiling, despite her tears.

“Undyne,” she cried, holding up her hand. “Undyne, you're _cured!”_

Undyne stared at her; she hadn't even thought about it, didn't care in the face of what she'd done. But now that she thought about it, she realised... it was _true_. She could _feel_ it, deep within herself: those tattered, broken parts within her had healed, and she felt incredible – at least physically.

Maybe even _better_ than the first time, too.

 _“I’m so happy!"_ Alphys rasped out, tears running down her cheeks, her smile so wide that it even hurt a little. “Oh, god, Undyne... _Undyne_...”

“ _Please_ , shut up,” Undyne answered. But she cuddled Alphys even closer, burying her face into her shoulder, and her words softened. “Just rest your voice, love.”

Alphys nodded, her hand going back up and resuming her slow caresses of Undyne's hair. She still grinned, still cried, but she was quiet. She clung to Undyne, her tail curling around one of her legs again - only firmly and steadily, this time.

“Alphy, I'm so sorry,” Undyne whispered, one hand slowly rubbing Alphys's back, the other slowly moving over Alphys's forehead to her spines, then back again.

Alphys sighed happily, and Undyne shut her eye. She felt drowsy, again, another - but now final - side-effect of the DT, so she relaxed and held Alphys close.

When she heard Alphys start to snore softly, the sound slightly raspy, Undyne smiled, finally, before dropping off beside her.

They slept through the rest of the night, the final, peaceful slumber of healing.

For both of them.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than usual chapter, but with good reason: the next chapter is very long, full of sex, but also very, very important.

In the morning, it was quiet.

When Alphys opened her eyes, she winced a little and turned away from the sunlight that blazed right in her face. When she'd turned away and onto her other side, she relaxed and opened her eyes again, smiling faintly. Her throat ached a little, but she was able to ignore it - especially when her eyes settled before her.

Undyne.

She was lying in front of her, facing her, now. She was still deep asleep, as the sunlight hadn't fallen on her face, yet, her hair partially covering it and thus protecting her from it. She drooled a little, looking relaxed and comfortable for the first time in months.

Alphys couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her, love flaring up in her without pause. 

_We did it._

Even thinking it was almost like a dream, one they'd both had for what felt like forever, now. But finally seeing Undyne look like that made it _real_ for Alphys, at last.

She closed her eyes and let her thoughts just wash over her, to make sure that they were real, too.

_The cure is real..._

_I can finally fix my mistakes..._

_We can finally get married..._

_I can't believe we did it..._

“Alphy...”

Alphys jumped, opening her eyes; Undyne was already watching her, smiling so openly and affectionately that Alphys's eyes filled with tears. Undyne's eye flickered with worry, but when Alphys looked into it, she saw no traces of black, save her pupil, and she cried harder, covering her mouth with both hands in her shock.

“Alphy?” Undyne murmured, reaching up and cupping her face between her hands. “Love, what's wrong? Is it...?" Her face clouded with guilt. "Is it about... last night?”

“N-no!" Alphys replied honestly, though her voice wavered. “F-for once, Undyne, n- _nothing's_ wrong... Ev-everything is r- _right_...”

“Oh, Alphy...” Undyne slipped close and pulled her right up to her chest, kissing her forehead gently. Alphys clung onto her and smiled despite her tears, even laughing a little when Undyne kissed her cheeks, then her nose, before kissing her lips.

“Undyne,” Alphys whispered, pressing her forehead to hers and closing her eyes. _“We did it.”_

There. She finally said it. Saying it aloud made it real, made it actually _real_ , and even Undyne felt tears come to her, that was how powerful they were.

“Oh, _fuck_ , Alphy,” Undyne murmured. “We really did. We're... we're okay.”

“Yes! Well...” And here, Alphys's eyes sparked with mirth. “Unless we do something stupid and get shot again.”

But Undyne didn't find it funny. Her smile vanished, her ears lowering, and she bit her lip, shaking her head.

“Don't,” she pleaded, stroking Alphys's cheeks gently to brush the tears away. “Don't joke. It's too much.”

Alphys opened her mouth to protest, but Undyne slipped her hand down and tucked it beneath Alphys's nightgown, over the now-scarred place above her right breast. The scar was permanent, raised and still red with healing. It would take years for it to fade to a lighter yellow, but it would always be visible.

Undyne hadn't scarred at all. Because she'd shaken the bullet out, it hadn't even had a chance of leaving a scar. But Alphys's had, and for Undyne, seeing it, even just a little, by accident, made Undyne feel a strike to her heart, the pain of what it had caused – and why it had happened at _all_.

Alphys quieted when she felt Undyne's palm flatten upon her chest, and she closed her eyes, touching her arm gently. It soothed her very, very much. 

Then, with the other hand, Undyne reached up and very lightly touched Alphys's neck. Alphys didn't flinch, as it didn't hurt her, but her eyes opened, their gaze soft.

“Alphy, I'm so sor--,” Undyne started, but Alphys covered her mouth and silenced her, shaking her head. Her eyes burned into Undyne's, her expression one that surprised Undyne, especially given the situation. But it was one she knew well, and she swallowed hard, her cheeks reddening.

Alphys pulled Undyne's hand away from her scar and brought it further beneath her gown, cupping it around her breast.

Undyne exhaled shakily, a stab of need striking her both in the heart and between her legs. Alphys nodded, her own face flushing red, a red that spread down her neck and to her chest.

“Please?” Alphys whispered. She couldn't explain it. She just couldn't. She _needed_ Undyne, _especially_ after what had happened last night. She knew Undyne was wary, treating her like she were made of glass, but Alphys didn't want her to, anymore.

Because Alphys _wasn't_ made of glass, least of all _now_.

Undyne stared at her, her heart racing – and blossoming. She understood, and it made her so grateful, so full of love, so _lucky_...

Silently, Undyne pulled her close and pulled Alphys's nightgown over her head, then tugged her underwear down (Alphys kicked them off without a second glance), before pulling her right up against herself, both still lying on their sides but now both completely naked.

They kissed, clinging to each other in that warm dawn quiet, not needing to say a word, anymore – especially now, in this new morning, of not just a new day, but a new start to their shared life.

* * *

 They made love all morning, and with so much laughter and tears. There were long, quiet moments, the only conversation between them completely non-verbal – and in those moments, they exchanged far more understanding than they would have with words.

When they did speak, it was with so much affection, deep love, and devotion. There were apologies for deep hurts – Alphys getting shot in place of Undyne, of planning to let herself die in a needless suicide; Undyne for being so hard to deal with during their shared recovery, for attacking Alphys, for almost _killing_ her...

It was the kind of healing they just couldn't of had at any other time, because now they were both physically healed, leaving room for emotional healing, at last.

Even as the day began to crest into afternoon, Undyne noticed that the bruises on Alphys's neck were softening, and she knew it was because of her determination. 

Knowing that – knowing that they were both finally safe, at last – had Undyne pulling Alphys to her, again, rolling onto her back and pressing Alphys upon her.

Alphys straddled her and curled up against her chest, her hands holding her shoulders lightly, while her tail curled around one of her shins. She sighed deeply, smiling; she loved the feel of Undyne like this, so warm and soft and smooth...

But then she felt Undyne take hold of her hands and lead them to her gills, making sure that Alphys's fingertips brushed snugly along the grooves. Both women shifted at that, both feeling arousal for the same reason, but just on opposing sides.

“Alphy,” Undyne rasped out, her head tilting back, her nails digging into Alphys's wrists a little as she gently stroked her gills. “Please... again...?”

Alphys shivered, her cheek pressed against Undyne's chest, right over her heart; she could feel how hard and fast it beat, and it soothed her so much that she smiled; she knew it beat for _her_. 

By this time, they'd lost count of how many times they'd made love, as they'd only left the bed three times – once for food, and twice for washroom breaks – through the entire morning.

But when their eyes met, the light that shone them was from the same kind of heat between them, and they smiled.

Alphys slipped up and kissed Undyne's lips, something that had Undyne grunting hungrily from, before she returned it with added passion.

And it would grow, into something far more intense than they'd anticipated – and with immense, life-changing results.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. This chapter is a doozy of a sex chapter. Many of you will recognise the magic featured in this chapter in different but similar ways, but just because I use it, does NOT mean the end results are a given.
> 
> THAT is up to Ember. It's HER story, after all :P!
> 
> If you choose to skip this sex-fest, I'll do my best to try and reiterate things you may have missed, but given the nature of this chapter, it might not be easy, and I might not be able to do it very well. Sorry x___x.

As they kissed, their passion kindled again – then caught ablaze, igniting them both and encircling them both with that fire.

Alphys moved one hand down from Undyne's gills to between her legs, and Undyne spread them with a soft sigh, her eye fluttering closed. For a moment, Alphys enjoyed this, her hands pleasuring her wife and, in turn, giving Alphys pleasure, too. Undyne’s cunt was already so wet and slick, and Alphys had barely slipped her fingers between the soft hair before she felt her arousal.

“Mm...” Undyne purred against Alphys's lips, sliding the tip of her tongue over Alphys's lips and prising them apart, immediately thrilled when Alphys's was already seeking hers. With that contact, Alphys moved her fingers over Undyne's clit quicker, her own body flooding with that desperate heat of lust and need.

“Oh...” Undyne whispered, arching her back and breaking from their kiss to tilt her head back, again, too. Her hands went to Alphys's hips, her fingers digging in, and her body started to move in time with those strokes.

But it wasn't enough, Undyne realised. It never was. Not when they were this close, this emotional. Undyne needed direct, physical contact with Alphys, always. She could never explain it – and she'd tried, many times, but always failed.

Alphys, however, never seemed to mind, simply because she felt the same way. For her, too, connecting directly was ultimate intimacy, and it was what she, too, craved during moments like this.

Alphys sat up a little to rearrange herself, her hand still between them. Undyne nodded, uttering a soft, yearning sound without words, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as her eye watched Alphys's every move. Alphys stared back, her own mouth open slightly as she hesitated.

Between them, they both felt it: their feelings for each other, practically humming in the air around them: attraction, lust, yearning – and deep, unflinching love.

Alphys closed her eyes, lowered down, and moved her hand away. Undyne moaned softly, her lips curving up into a delighted smile, and she arched her entire body back again, wrapping her arms around Alphys's plump waist and grinding her hips up against hers. Alphys hiccupped in surprise, the shift jolting her clit rather sharply, and Undyne grinned, the sound making her very happy, indeed.

Alphys stayed sitting up, her hands going to Undyne's chest and cupping around her breasts, flicking her thumbs over her nipples in tandem with the thrusting down of her hips against Undyne's. Undyne growled, her face going crimson – including her ears – and she gritted her teeth, still smiling.

It was _wonderful_.

For some reason, this one time, above all of the previous bouts of lovemaking, was so vastly superior. There was barely any change to their method, but something had changed between them and meshed together – and it wasn't just their bodies. Their magic hummed between them, peppered with the spice of determination, and this time, it bloomed between them, as though truly connected at last.

“Oh, fuck,” Undyne gasped, her voice so soft that Alphys almost missed it. Her nails dug into Alphys's hips, and she grinned, her breaths sharp. “Alphy... Alphy, what _is_ that?”

Alphys arched back a little, herself, her eyes closed and her heart beating hard within her breast. She moved slow, her hands still on Undyne's breasts and still gentle, but her thrusts against Undyne were starting to grow stronger as well as faster.

“Dunno,” Alphys whispered, licking her lips slowly. Her whole body was hot, now, her skin showing a sheen of pink – except her face, neck, and chest: there, she was bright red. “It's... so _good_... I've never felt anything like this...”

“But we've been fucking _all day...”_

Alphys laughed breathlessly. She loved Undyne's bluntness, loved her direct language and her fearlessness in using it, especially with Alphys, and in such intense moments like this.

“I love it,” Alphys admitted. “I feel… so close to you...”

“I know,” Undyne agreed. “I feel like I can almost hear you thinking...”

Alphys was quiet, thinking deeply on that, all while that wonderful feeling curled within her and slowly began to spread.

“Undyne,” she whispered, keeping her pace steady. “Do want to... reach out... and-and... touch souls?”

Undyne's eye snapped open in shock, especially when she realised she already knew the answer.

Touching souls was extremely intimate between monsters, as it could be used in all kinds of intimate interaction, including sex. Sex, especially, when had while connecting souls, was a kind of intense, all-encompassing soul magic, one that truly connected the monsters using it in _every_ aspect. Emotions and thoughts could be read and understood, and sensual and physical feeling could also be exchanged and felt. It left the monsters – two or more – involved connected them together in _every_ sense, and nothing would ever be secret between them.

It was truly the best meaning of baring one's soul to the other.

With it came risks, of course: overexertion, exhaustion, magic exchange, magical shortage. But the biggest risk was the one that made them both pause and look at each other in shock.

Because they both already knew the answer, regardless of all of the risks, and it amazed them.

“Yes,” Undyne rasped out, her eye filling with tears. “Yes, Alphy.”

Alphys swallowed hard, her own eyes filling, despite the fact that they both smiled, sharing the same tenderness and affection.

“Who...?” Alphys wondered.

“Switch it up,” Undyne replied, her face lighting up with excitement. “You first, love.” And without hesitating, she lowered her hands to the bed and opened them, keeping them close and wiggling her fingers. She beamed up at Alphys, bringing a surge of excitement and joy to her.

She lowered down, grabbing hold of Undyne's hands and twining their fingers together, pinning them down to the bed. She then angled her hips a little differently, shivering when doing so gave her a delicious stab of pleasure.

“Okay,” Alphys whispered, before she lowered her head, pressed her body flat against Undyne's, and kissed her lips again.

Together, at the exact same time, they summoned their magic between their palms, and the glow cupped over their hands and mingled, glittering from yellow and blue to bright, light green.

The moment that happened, they both jolted, crying out and pushing against each other hard. Intense heat licked their blood, igniting their entire bodies with immense, full-bodied pleasure.

They shuddered for a moment, shocked; they'd never tried this before, in their five years together, so this was a huge surprise to them both.

Alphys then pressed down, deepening their kiss and growling desperately, her claws digging into Undyne's hands. With that, she gripped her legs around Undyne's hips and her tail around one of her shins, and increased the pace.

The moment they moved at that increased pace, they both cried out and shivered, the feel like nothing they'd ever felt, even during the best sex they'd ever had prior to this. Compared to this, that time had been paltry – it felt that powerful.

“Oh my god,” Undyne sobbed, tilting her head back, her voice tiny and choked, her eye shut tight. “Alphy... oh my god, _oh my god--!”_ Her voice caught and cracked, and Alphys leaned down and kissed her neck, bringing a sharp, long moan from Undyne.

Alphys couldn't speak at all; while it was clear that Undyne was feeling deep pleasure, it was even stronger for Alphys, akin to pure euphoria. Since she was the one on top and thus in charge, she was the one who could control the flow of magic between them, and because they both now shared a goal, it was specifically directed for _that_.

And it felt _exhilarating_.

It was quick, the amount of time it took for Alphys to orgasm, but each second felt like its own pocket of extended time. Every time their bodies moved together, Alphys felt a burst of that ecstasy, one that grew and spread to every inch of her body as she grew closer.

Undyne, beneath her, encouraged her, her hands clutching Alphys's tight, her kisses hot and intense, her body's movements like a sacred dance, her cries like a siren's entrancing song...

“Ohh...!” Alphys keened it out, her whole body flashing red. Her eyes rolled up, seeing so much colour, but mostly that beautiful green, a green that she wanted to burn to her eyelids, so she'd never forget it, so she'd always remember this...

“Come for me...” Undyne whispered, her eye open halfway and glittering, both from their magic and of their souls touching. “Please, Alphy...” She wanted to say so much more, meaningful things, but she lost all speech after that.

Because Alphys was now writhing against her, crying out hoarsely, but in a way that was clearly imploring. She couldn't speak, could only cry out, as her orgasm practically devoured her in its heat. But she _loved_ it: she'd never felt anything so wonderful, so pleasurable, and between desperate cries, she laughed.

Undyne heard her, watching her come and feeling herself react almost viscerally to the sight, and she was stunned – especially when Alphys laughed.

She'd never been more in love with Alphys until that very moment.

When Alphys collapsed against her chest, gasping so hard that she wheezed a little, Undyne nuzzled her gently. Alphys turned her head slowly and kissed her, exactly what she'd wanted. Through it all, the magic that encapsulated their hands didn't flicker once.

Gently, without breaking contact, Undyne shifted so that they rolled over and switched positions. Alphys was so drunk from her own orgasm that she laughed, again, especially when Undyne moved to straddle her.

Undyne grinned down at her, something Alphys returned with unrestrained joy, and once more they kissed – and started moving together, again.

“Oh, fuck...” Undyne gasped out, her eye squeezing shut, so tight that tears escaped it. Her voice suddenly rose, from her usual deep tone to something almost shrill with shock. “Alphy...! _Oh, Alphy!”_

She pressed down and grinded against Alphys, barely able to breathe. Alphys hooked her tail around Undyne's thigh and held tight, but Undyne could feel it tremble a little. When she looked down at her, she saw her wife silently trapped in what looked like another wave of bliss.

That was, until Alphys suddenly gasped for breath, then sobbed, arching her whole body up against Undyne's and meeting each thrust of her hips against her own.

“Undyne...!” she cried, her voice almost as high-pitched as Undyne's. “Th-that... _Undyne_... please! Please! _Please!!”_

Undyne tried to say something witty or sexy, but only ended up blurting out, “Always, Alphy, anything you need, anything you want, I’m your servant, forever, _forever_ …”

Then, Undyne suddenly couldn't speak at all. Her whole body flared with growing pleasure, and she lowered her head to Alphys's chest, her hands clutching Alphys's desperately. When she did try to talk, all she got out were incoherent cries.

She'd never felt anything like this, never at all. She'd been drunk, high on morphine, hyped up on adrenaline, and thrown into great strings of multiple orgasms.

But this? _This_ was _all_ of that, multiplied by a hundred, and then multiplied _infinitely_.

 _Now_ she understood why Alphys had cried and laughed – and honestly admired her restraint. Undyne wanted to shout it all out, wanted to scream it to everyone, wanted to declare it loud enough to make the entire world tremble...

Alphys suddenly yelped, her eyes flaring with shock and flashing with yellow. Undyne almost stopped, worried, until Alphys shrieked out, “Fuck, Undyne, I'm... _I'm_...! _D_ - _don't st-st-stop...! Ahhh--!”_

Undyne then, somehow, felt what Alphys was feeling – a second orgasm, rushing up on her like a tidal wave – and Undyne moved to accommodate not just her, but also herself.

“Together,” Undyne pleaded, pressing her forehead to Alphys's and opening her eye halfway. Alphys stared up at her, her eyes like twin stars, they were so bright.

They both gasped for each breath, trembling from their shared bliss, and now that they were both about to come, all they could do was stare into each other's eyes and keep moving, their hands not once letting go, their magic glowing just as strongly as when they began - even brighter, now.

Alphys then started growling, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to keep them open. Undyne pressed flatter against her, gritting her teeth harder and growling, herself. Somehow, deep down, they both could hear the other's thoughts, feel her emotions, and there was literally no need for words to be spoken, anymore.

Then, _finally_ , they were both dragged under that tsunami of ecstasy, and they both clung to each other, writhing against each other as they were completely overcome. Alphys started sobbing, drowning almost immediately, especially since it was her second one, but her sobs were almost silent with her shock.

Hearing Alphys was like the cue for Undyne's body to follow her, and immediately, she felt it sweep through her whole body – in her blood, her bones, her skin - and her soul. She wanted to curse, to scream, to shout Alphys's name loud enough for the entire world to hear, so that they would know that only Alphys was able to make her feel like this, so alive and free and invincible...

…and so blissfully, unbelievably _high_.

Alphys couldn't take it; not twice, and not so close together. She tried, but lost – and she passed out, completely knocked out by how much euphoria she felt. She was grinning, however, her whole body floating above the highest clouds...

Undyne _thought_ she could take it. Especially now, at full health and fully determined, and especially since she'd only come once. But she underestimated herself, and with a defeated but happy groan, she collapsed atop Alphys and followed her in that white-out upon the clouds..

And deep within them both, as the magic slowly flickered out and faded into the air like green sparks, there was a steady, gentle thrumming.

They both felt it, even when they managed to wake up – hours later, it must be said – but it made them laugh happily.

The true definition of blissful ignorance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Ember, what do you think? One, the other, both, or neither? :D you get to decide, my dear! Also please decide asap, so I can write it :3!!


	25. Chapter 25

Hours passed between them as they slept, their bodies as well as their hands still intertwined and pressed close, neither having moved an inch since they both passed out. Not even the sounds of their phones chiming – then ringing – woke them, or even made either of them stir. Alphys snored almost the whole time, but Undyne was completely oblivious to it, drooling contentedly upon Alphys's chest.

They needed that sleep. It wasn't just because they'd used soul magic alongside sex. It was what they did with that magic, and the consequences that went alongside it, that made such heavy sleep necessary.

When Undyne eventually stirred awake, it was like clawing her way up from a very deep pool. She was exhausted, still, but what woke her was far more important: she was _starving_.

Alphys awoke mere seconds after Undyne, though not because Undyne's movements woke her. Rather, she'd just... woken up at the same time. She blinked slowly, her eyelids heavy, still, too – and she realised she was also starving, and that was why she was awake, too.

“Fuck,” Undyne growled, her hands – still within Alphys's – clutching harder for a better grip, even as she buried her face back into Alphys's chest. “I wanna eat the house.”

“That sounds like _just_ enough,” Alphys agreed, squeezing Undyne's hands in return, grinning slowly. “But what will _you_ eat?”

Their eyes met, then, and both lit up, in expression as well as mood. Undyne sat up, then helped Alphys do the same, before wrapping her arms around her shoulders, still staring into her eyes, but now beaming at her with a grin of her own. Alphys giggled, unable to suppress it, especially when Undyne looked at her like that; to Alphys, Undyne looked _adorable_.

“I suddenly wish I could just eat _you,”_ Alphys teased, leaning close and nibbling Undyne's ear a little.

Undyne laughed – though she also blushed and shivered a little. “So not into _that_ , Alphy!”

Alphys suddenly looked horrified. “Oh, Undyne, _ew_ , no! _What?!”_ she cried, before she leaned her whole body weight against Undyne's shoulder, effectively causing her to teeter over back onto the bed and on her side – where she promptly burst into laughter.

Alphys went scarlet, realising just how easily she walked into that, and immediately tackled Undyne down, delighting her into catching her and laughing even harder – something that Alphys soon echoed, the sound contagious.

Once calm, they smiled at each other, sharing the same slow, easy grin.

“Hey,” Undyne murmured, reaching up and touching the side of Alphys's neck gently. Her smile flickered. “Does... does it still hurt?”

But then her eye fell on the skin she touched, and she froze, then leaned closer, startling Alphys into freezing in place, confused. She was about to say that she was fine, but Undyne interrupted.

“Alphy,” she murmured, her fingertips lightly brushing over the skin all around Alphys's neck and throat (something that had Alphys shivering in delight, despite herself). “The bruises... they're gone...?”

Alphys blinked in surprise, meeting her wife's gaze as she finished that sentence. She was about to protest, to get up and look, but Undyne's expression stopped her. She didn't need to look; she knew Undyne was telling the truth.

“Wh...? What?” Alphys squeaked out, touching her throat, too. “B-but...” Her eyes then focused, and she nodded. “ _Ohhh_...”

Then, she blushed again, meeting Undyne's gaze almost shyly. “Undyne,” she murmured. “It's because of what we did.”

Undyne stared at her. She didn't need to ask, because the answer was obvious to her.

Of course Alphys would've been healed. Of course there wouldn't be any marks left behind.

They'd not only used their soul's magic, but also their _determination_.

 _“Fuck,”_ they both whispered at the same time, before suddenly grinning and hugging onto each other again, falling back down into the bed and laughing once more, this fit lasting even longer.

When she could, Undyne managed to gasp out, “When?”

Alphys paused, resting her chin on Undyne's chest in thought. Undyne stared at her, her mouth a tiny, happy smile, and she just stared at Alphys in that happy silence as she thought so deeply; she loved it when Alphys looked like that, no matter what the subject or context.

“A month,” she concluded, smiling shyly again, especially when she caught Undyne's expression.

“Too long!” Undyne complained.

Alphys giggled and nuzzled her cheek gently with her nose, something Undyne returned with pure joy. “I’m seriously starving, though,” she added.

Undyne nodded, looking sombre. “Yes. God. I need so much fucking food.” She sat up, leaned over, and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. Alphys curled up under her arm, and together, they ordered enough take-out to last a normal couple a few days, but that was still an amount that had Undyne worried that it wouldn't be enough – only partly joking.

Alphys was especially happy to be ordering real food, as for most of the day, she'd had to stick to soups and milkshakes because of her throat. Now that it was – amazingly - healed, she not only got to enjoy that surprise, but real food, again, too.

As they waited for their feast to be delivered, Undyne mentioned it. Alphys was lying down and dozing a little, and Undyne was resting her head against Alphys's hip, her cheek pressed against its softness, her arms wrapped around her leg and the rest of her curled up in a ball beside her.

Alphys’s tail curled around one of her arms like one of those upper-arm bracelets, and the feel of it comforted Undyne – but also made her feel guilty, again.

It had been Alphys's tail – that casual, constant gesture of affection that Alphys always employed at any given moment – that had snapped Undyne awake from her delirium, and feeling it hugging her so nicely now actually kind of hurt.

She murmured, her face averted, “Alphy, are... are we okay? After... what I did?”

Immediately, Alphys took hold of her other arm and pulled her up from her hip and up to her chest, surprising Undyne with how strong she could be when she wanted to. She then took hold of Undyne's chin and tilted her head up, so that their eyes could meet.

Undyne bit her lip, about to cry the moment she met Alphys's gaze and saw the look on her face.

It was so open, so kind and understanding, that Undyne almost felt like she cheated, somehow, to get Alphys to look at her like that. Because she could see it, as plain as the glasses on her nose, that Alphys had _already_ forgiven her, and was confused by this question.

And to add to it, she wore the exact same expression she'd had when Undyne had asked her why she'd taken that bullet: concerned confusion, with worry holding them together.

“Undyne,” Alphys said, finally, her voice as gentle as her face. Undyne stared up at her, biting down on the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. She reached up and curled her hands around Undyne's cheeks, smiling faintly. “There isn't a moment spent between us in which we are not okay.”

“Alphy, that's _not_ true, we've fought before--!” Undyne protested, indignation replacing her urge to cry – a relief, really.

“Of course we have, Undyne, we're a couple!” Alphys interjected, still smiling. “But squabbles don't equal _discord_!”

Undyne shut her eye for a moment, overwhelmed. The kindness, the tenderness, that Alphys was treating her with made her feel so much, and it didn't help to feel those small, soft hands on her cheeks alongside such words.

“Alphy,” she whispered, keeping her eye shut. “This wasn't a squabble. I... I almost... I almost--,”

Alphys covered her mouth, and Undyne opened her eye. “But you did not,” she answered. “And you weren't in your right mind, love. You were delirious. I know that. It wasn't your fault, Undyne. Please...”

Undyne stared at her, shocked, now: Alphys was looking ashamed. And when she went on, Undyne learnt why – and got mad.

“I-I... I shouldn't of fallen asleep, Undyne,” Alphys admitted, lowering her eyes to her hands, her hands lowering down from Undyne's face and into her lap, instead. “I wasn't taking good care of you. If I had, I would've been able to stop you before you attacked, or woke you up before you hallucinated...”

Undyne's hand shot up and covered Alphys's mouth, this time, her eye blazing _. “No,”_ she snarled. “You will _not_ blame yourself for my actions, Alphys!”

“Actions you couldn't control!” Alphys answered, her voice muffled. “Actions that I would've anticipated, had I stayed awake!”

“You were exhausted, Alphys!”

“So were you, Undyne!”

They fell silent, now at an impasse.

Undyne knew she was being obstreperous. She knew she was being stupidly stubborn, insisting that she was to blame and that she deserved to be punished for it.

But that was because she truly felt like she _did_.

What she'd done – and almost done – had terrified her; she felt like she was becoming that violent bitch that everyone expected of her, and worst of all, toward Alphys.

Alphys, who'd done everything possible to save her life, even going so far as to value Undyne's over her own; who'd taken that damned bullet for her...

Alphys, who'd asked her, in a squeaky, trembling voice, to _please_ marry her, but only if Undyne wanted, and she understood if Undyne did not...

To almost kill Alphys, no matter how accidental, and then get away with it, made Undyne feel like scum.

But then, Alphys murmured the words that suddenly made the most sense. “Undyne, why would I trust you with my body like I just did if I felt you were in the wrong? Why would I even let you touch _me_ , let alone touch my very _soul?_ Why would I even risk the possibility of--?”

She went scarlet, then, stammering so hard that she couldn't finish the sentence, the very prospect of it still flustering her. When she realised she couldn't finish the sentence, she switched to a new one.

She grabbed Undyne's hand and placed it right at the hollow of her throat, so that Undyne could feel her heartbeat beneath her palm. She didn't flinch, didn't hesitate – but Undyne did, lowering her head and trying to pull her hand back.

“No!” Alphys snapped, digging her claws into her arm, and Undyne growled but stayed put; Alphys always knew how to keep her with her, always. “Undyne, look at me.”

Undyne did, unable to help the tears that filled her eye upon doing so. She glared, however, hoping to make the tears invisible, but it was futile, and she knew it before she even did it; she just felt the need to try.

Alphys, however, reached up with her other hand and brushed those tears away. “We're okay. It was an accident, Undyne. I know you would never, _ever_ do that to me in your right mind. And I would have never trusted you with my soul if I felt otherwise.”

Her voice caught, and Undyne sat up, biting her lip and placing her hands gently on her shoulders, rubbing them slowly and carefully.

“Undyne, I love you so much,” Alphys murmured, her gaze lowered again. “I would do _anything_ for you. But that means also not letting you do things you'll regret, and I swear, Undyne, I _tried_ to stop you...”

Her voice tremored, shocking Undyne. “I tried, with everything I was, love. I’m so sorry I failed you. I-I hate th-that you feel l-like you d-deserve to b-be... h-hurt...”

She shook her head vehemently. “Never, Undyne. _Never.”_

Undyne grabbed her, then, holding her close and burying her face into her soft shoulder, losing control over her tears at last. Alphys clung back, her own face going to Undyne's hair, as she, too, cried.

They held each other through it, rocking each other slowly and whispering comforting, honest words of love and forgiveness – and trust, most of all.

It was only when the doorbell rang that they broke apart, startled by such a loud and invasive sound. Of the two, Undyne was the least messy, so she was the one who threw her robe on and went to get the food.

Alphys curled up under the covers, shaking a little, still, her eyes closed and buried in her pillow.

In a way, it was so _silly_.

They both blamed themselves for something neither could have anticipated, let alone controlled, and yet they both knew that their feelings remained unchanged, regardless. In a great many ways, they were such opposites. But when it came to things like this, they were so alike that it sometimes tied them up in a net of their own shared flaws.

Alphys closed her eyes, listening to Undyne chat with the delivery person, before she breathed in and looked inward, searching and hoping...

But even she knew it was way too soon, and it was foolish to try. She did it anyway, just in case, and had to admit some disappointment despite knowing better, but it was still way too soon.

In a month, they would know. And seven months after that, they were getting married regardless of the results.

Alphys suddenly giggled a little; she realised, with that, that they actually had perfect, precise timing, all things considered.

Her thoughts were interrupted with the arrival of food, and she immediately cared about nothing else – especially when Undyne threw her robe off and jumped into bed with her, take-out and all, and laughed happily when she saw Alphys's excited expression.

In that laugh, they both knew.

Finally, at last, they were both fully healed.


	26. Chapter 26

Finally, once their bellies were filled and they'd had a shower (together, of course) and got dressed into fresh pyjamas (more or less for Undyne, who used one of Alphys's nightgown, resulting in an Undyne who showed a great deal of leg and who did not make it very far from the bed while wearing it), it was then that they both decided to start answering their phones.

They'd first ignored them from genuine busyness, as Alphys insisted she needed full focus on Undyne if they wanted the cure to work – and be done with – in this last round. Undyne was simply unable to answer her phone, too caught up in her illness to try: calling Toriel had been the first time they'd used either of their phones in those days, and after, they resumed ignoring them – especially when it came to the next day.

By then, it was evening in full, and both were hungry again, content to spend the whole night in bed again, but this time with both food _and_ phones.

But when Alphys looked at her phone, she went pale, then shoved it aside and face-down, her eyes downcast. She hugged onto her legs for a moment, shivering, and it was only when Undyne leaned close and hugged her that she explained herself.

Her phone was full of messages, most of which were ones that she'd expected and (tried to) ignore. But the others were from the families of the Amalgamates.

Because Toriel had seen Undyne fully cured – and was a terrible gossip, this must be said - everyone, by now, knew that Alphys's cure was real, and it worked.

Alphys, however, had not anticipated this, forgetting that her friend had a loose tongue, especially when happy about something (and she'd been _thrilled_ to see Undyne well again, despite the horrid circumstances). She'd expected messages from Mettaton and sans, or even Toriel or Asgore – and she did get those – but those messages were buried beneath the emails and texts from every single family connected to the Amalgamates, all pleading with her to help them.

Alphys was shivering, her whole body feeling cold, and she curled up into a tighter ball, her tail wrapping tightly around her legs. She buried her face into her knees, too shocked too cry, but too upset to cheer up.

Undyne noticed, dropping her phone and moving to sit beside her, wrapping her arms around her tight. She heard Alphys struggling to keep calm, her breaths raspy and short, and she trembled so hard it shook Undyne, too.

“Alphy?” she murmured.

Without moving, Alphys explained, her voice blank and soft. Undyne listened, and when Alphys finished, she leaned over and kissed her cheek, then whispered, “Can you blame them, Alphy?”

Alphys raised her head, blinking. That actually kind of hurt, and she was surprised to hear it. “I-I... I... N-no, I...” she tried, before she shut up, lowering her head again in embarrassment. “You... you're right. I-I can't.”

“Alphy,” Undyne said softly. “Listen. This time, you’re not gonna be alone, okay?”

Alphys looked up at her again, surprised – but this time, it didn't hurt. In fact, she didn't even realise it, but her tail was starting to wag, very slowly, true, but it still was.

Undyne noticed and smiled at her, nudging her gently. “You dork,” she teased. “You're gonna have _me_ , right beside you. I’ll help with everything, okay?”

“Oh?” Alphys wondered, raising an eyebrow and smiling faintly. “Without blowing anything up?”

Undyne grinned, now. “I said I'd _help_ you, not _perform_ _miracles_.”

Alphys laughed, uncurling and grabbing Undyne into a hug. Undyne caught her, then kissed her, tugging her closer and pulling her into her arms. Alphys was suddenly no longer interested in her phone – exactly what Undyne planned.

* * *

After, Undyne managed to get out between breaths, “Wanna know what kind of texts I got?”

“Y-yes,” Alphys agreed, curled up under her arm, her eyes closed and her smile wide.

“So many people, of different backgrounds, and they all sound the exact same,” Undyne replied. “’Glad to have you back.'”

Alphys giggled. “I can't help but agree with them, Undyne.”

Undyne blushed a little, staring up at the ceiling and swallowing hard. “Honestly?” she murmured. When she felt Alphys nod, she admitted, “I... I didn't expect it.”

Alphys blinked up at her. “What? Why not?”

Undyne closed her eye, sighing. “Because... because I just... didn't expect it, y'know? That many people... caring, I guess.”

“Undyne, of course they care,” Alphys answered, sitting up a little. Undyne opened her eye and met her gaze, and she nodded. “So many people care about you, Undyne.”

Undyne looked away. “Alphy,” she murmured. “How... how many messages did _you_ get, welcoming _you_ back, when people found out you were cured?”

Alphys went silent, closing her mouth. She felt the blood leave her face. “Undyne, c-can we n-not...? I-I mean... th-this is about you.”

Undyne sighed. “I knew it.”

Alphys stared at her, something she noticed, and she looked over at her, again. “I knew it, Alphy. That's why those messages upset you that much. It's not just the ones about the cure, is it?”

Alphys winced. “Undyne... we've had such... such a good few days... Can we not ruin it right now?”

It was exactly the wrong thing to say, only she realised it too late. She shrank back, suddenly eager to hide under the blankets, but Undyne grabbed her around the waist and dragged her back before she could.

“Tell me,” Undyne demanded, even as Alphys tried to hide – first under Undyne's arm, then actually trying to burrow under Undyne, herself. It made Undyne laugh, but it didn't distract her, like she'd hoped.

Alphys didn't want to say any it. She didn't want to repeat any of it. But Undyne kept insisting, so she just grabbed her phone, fussed with it for a moment, then handed it to Undyne, trying to hide again.

Undyne took it and immediately started reading. Alphys had set it up to show emails from the day it was public that she was cured. Undyne opened one of them, one titled “To Doctor Alphys”, thinking it would be at least innocuous.

She was incredibly wrong.

The email was... _cruel_. There was no other word for it. It was the cruelest thing that Undyne had ever read. It not only said that Alphys should have died from heart failure, but should have died when she'd been shot, too; they literally meant that they'd wished that Alphys had died, _twice_.

Undyne's hands started shaking, her eye filling with tears, but silently, she closed it and opened another one, her teeth gritted. Alphys trembled beside her, silent, too upset to even protest, anymore.

The more she read, the worse they got. All of them said that they were angry she'd survived; all of them said that they wished she'd of either died or suffered for the rest of her life. Some of them even _threatened_ her, that if they saw her, they'd “finish the job that the brave human was unable to”.

The worst ones said all of that, but also included comments about Undyne: how it would've been better if Undyne had murdered Alphys (that hurt her very badly, considering what had almost happened in her delirium); how it would've been better for Undyne if Alphys had died, so that Undyne could actually be free of her “disgusting burden of a fiancée”…

Undyne's silence worried Alphys so much that she tried to joke. “D-don't worry,” she tried, forcing a weak smile. “Th-those... those are actually n-nice in comparison to the _usual_ stuff...”

Again, it was the worst thing she could have said. Undyne lowered the phone, turning to her with a furious expression, and Alphys lowered her head, unable to speak, now.

“Alphys, are you _kidding_ me?” she demanded. “This... _this_ is the kind of shit you _always get?!”_

Alphys nodded silently. “Th-that's why I never told you.”

Undyne closed her eye and laid back, covering her eyes with her arm. She couldn't believe it. She'd known that Alphys got hate mail. She'd always known. But she'd never known what the mail had actually said.

Alphys bit her lip, waiting for Undyne to yell, again. But instead, Undyne sobbed, before bursting into tears, covering her face with both arms, now. She then turned away onto her side, away from Alphys; she couldn't stop crying, now, and didn't want Alphys to see it – despite knowing how impossible that was.

Alphys sat up quickly, leaning over and placing a hand onto her shoulder. “Undyne?” she murmured. “It-it's okay, Undyne... I-I shouldn't of shown you, I'm sorry...”

Undyne lowered her arms in a huff, her hands slapping down onto her thighs in her frustration. “Alphys, stop it!” she cried. “That's _not_ why I'm upset! I'm glad you showed it! I'm angry you _never_ showed me before _now!”_

Alphys hadn't expected that. “Why? It...” She sniffled. “It's only made you upset. I don't want this... I don't want this! Can we just f-forget it, Undyne, _please?”_

“No!” Undyne snapped, covering her face with her hands. “I can't! Alphys, I can't forget that people want you to _die!_ It's _horrible!”_ Her voice broke.

Alphys bit her lip, then muttered something, pulling away from her and curling into a ball on her side, turning away from Undyne, this time.

Undyne's eye flared open the moment she heard it, sitting up right away and turning toward her, her face red with fury. _“What_ _did you just say to me, Alphys?!”_

Alphys shivered, hiding her face in her pillow and covering her face; she'd actually forgotten how good Undyne's hearing was, and had said it because she was certain she wouldn't hear it. She grabbed her blanket, too, and threw it over herself, starting to cry – but quietly, the kind of tears so soft that they were almost louder than any words she could say.

 _“What the fuck did you just say, Alphys?!”_ Undyne repeated, grabbing hold of her shoulder and shaking her. “Look at me!”

Alphys shook her head, pulling out of her grasp.

“Alphys, how can you _say_ that to me, after what we've been through, what we've _done_ , what we _just did?!”_ Undyne shouted, in furious tears, now.

Her reaction was completely understandable, completely legitimate and in the right, because what Alphys had said was inexcusable, inappropriate, and, worst of all, heartbreaking.

She'd said, with perfect sincerity and without hesitation, “They're right, and maybe you should just forget about me.”

And the worst part was, they both knew that she meant it.

Undyne took hold of her shoulder again, her fingers digging in hard and shaking her, again. “Alphys!” she repeated _. “Why?!_ Don't... don't we mean _anything_ to you?! Don't _I_ mean _anything_ to you?! _At all?!”_

Alphys was horrified by that, and she sat up quickly, grabbing hold of her hand and taking hold of it between her own. She looked up at Undyne, at how hurt and furious she was, and she regretted her words so much that she wished she could either turn back time - or just run the hell away. But at the same time, she couldn't just abandon Undyne, not after that, not looking the way she did...

“Of course you do,” Alphys murmured, her voice choked.

Undyne glared at her, her teeth clenched hard and her whole body shaking, her tears running down her cheeks without pause. Alphys reached up and cupped her hands around her face, and for a moment, Undyne's eye flashed, clearly about to pull away.

“Please,” Alphys added. “You _do_. _We_ do. You... you're the most important thing to _ever_ happen to me, Undyne!” Her eyes searched Undyne's, feeling tears of her own fall, but she didn't care. “You're the _only_ thing in my _whole fucking life_ that makes it worth _living_ , Undyne!”

She was shouting, now, but she couldn't stop. This was too important – and she now had Undyne's full attention.

“You are!” Alphys insisted, her fingers digging into her cheeks a little. “You, _us_...”

She sobbed, lowering her head down, and in a gesture that shocked Undyne, she rested her forehead against her stomach, her arms going around her waist and holding tight. “Th- _this_... _all_ of this... All of _you_..."

Her voice was high-pitched, strained and broken. “You-you... give me a reason... t-to _live_...”

Undyne closed her eye. Carefully, she leaned down and rested her cheek on the top of Alphys's trembling shoulder, one hand rubbing her back, the other, her forehead. Alphys sobbed, burying her face closer to Undyne's middle, and again, Undyne squeezed her eye shut tighter, unable to swallow a sob of her own.

“Then... _why?”_ Undyne begged. “Why would you _say_ such a thing?”

 _“Because all I do is hurt you!”_ Alphys cried. “I _hurt_ you, but you _heal_ me! It's not right, Undyne, _it's not fucking right!!”_

“God, Alphy,” Undyne whispered, kissing her forehead gently. “You don't hurt me at _all_ , my love. If I'm ever in pain, it's not because you hurt me on purpose. I can't help it, Alphy... When you feel pain, I feel it, too. But I don't care, if it means being with you, if it means having you in my life... I just want to make you happy...”

“You do!” Alphys insisted. “Always! _I_ never make _you_ happy! _Never!”_

Undyne sobbed at that, finding that so heartbreaking that she actually felt her heart ache.

“Alphy...” she murmured, her voice wavering. “You make me the happiest monster in the whole fucking _universe_ , Alphy.”

Alphys shook her head vehemently.

“Yes, you do,” she insisted. “Do you think I give a flying _fuck_ what those _assholes_ say about you? About what they say about me and you? Because I _don't_ , Alphy. I know they're wrong, I know what I want and what's good for me, and I know what I want my future to be. And guess what, Alphy? The answer to all of that is _you! Just_ you, and _always_ you!”

Alphys was quiet by the time she finished, her eyes open and wide, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip so hard that it hurt, but she didn't care. She was shaking, and she could feel that Undyne was, too.

“You're _everything_ to me, Alphys,” Undyne murmured, her voice soft, now. “Everything. For _five fucking years_ , Alphys. You've been it _all.”_

Alphys slowly raised her head, and Undyne did the same. They both stared at each other, their expressions so similar that it was actually shocking. Alphys reached up and took hold of Undyne's face, at the same time that Undyne did, too.

That simple gesture, that tender, intimate touch, was so soothing to them both, that suddenly, they both smiled. In that shared smile, they suddenly felt... better. So much better.

“Fucking _fuck_ , Alphy,” Undyne sighed, her voice wavering again, but now it was because she smiled. “We’re the biggest fucking nerds in the world.”

Alphys swallowed, her eyes sparking, and to Undyne's surprised delight, she said, “Yes, I agree, we are – literally.”

And finally, _finally_ , that was all it took to calm them down, and forgive each other, and without even saying so. Alphys simply crawled into Undyne's lap, pushed her down onto her back, and Undyne pulled her down and kissed her.

Proving them both right, really.


	27. Chapter 27

Luckily, the month that they needed to spend waiting was one spent incredibly busy, so busy that, funnily enough, they actually forgot about it.

True to form, the moment Alphys was positive that Undyne was fully recovered, she went back to the True Lab to work on the other cures. She was incredibly lucky: the Amalgamates would each only need one shot, but that shot had to consist of every monster's control sample added into the mix. It was delicate, frustrating work, and she was terrified of messing up; if she did, she ran the risk of running out of the DT samples she had left.

Undyne, however, kept her promise and helped her. Despite the teasing, Undyne proved to be a priceless lab partner, one who stumbled a little if Alphys panicked and went into Scientisian, again, but one who also followed instructions so well and so easily that Alphys cherished every second.

Perhaps it wasn't so surprising: Undyne was a soldier, a warrior, and was used to not only taking orders, but fulfilling them to her highest potential. When it came to this, Undyne knew Alphys needed her at her best, because Alphys, herself, needed to be at her best, too.

With Undyne helping her, it was so easy. Her hands were long-fingered, nimble, and strong, and could do so much more than Alphys could – and faster, too. And while it was true that Undyne did make mistakes, none of them were fatal to their work.

The only time their work seemed to be in jeopardy had absolutely nothing to do with their skill and dedication.

Rather, it was because of what they'd both forgotten – something that could no longer be forgotten, now.

* * *

They were hunched over the lab table. Undyne was holding a syringe full of DT, the needle carefully inserted into a large petri dish, one that Alphys held still between her hands. Very slowly, in what looked like glowing threads, the DT was being injected into the dish by Undyne, whose hands were the most steady that day.

Alphys couldn't explain it. Her hands were constantly shaking, not enough to drop things, but enough to find some difficulty in keeping things steady. It was why Undyne handled the injection, as this was a tissue test, one they needed to get done before they could work on the cure for the monster who had previously owned that tissue.

This was the last one, too, so Alphys decided that her shakiness was because of anticipation and excitement; they were almost done, and she could finally start to fix the horrible things she'd done.

However, in the middle of it, Alphys suddenly felt the blood leave her face. She wobbled, her hands loosening their hold on the dish, and Undyne had just managed to grab it before Alphys tumbled to the floor without a sound, her eyes just rolling up and shutting.

Undyne yelped out her name, placing it all as carefully as possible on the table, before she knelt beside Alphys. She'd fallen onto her side in a heap, and when Undyne touched her shoulder, she didn't move. She called for her again, shaking her shoulder, but again, she didn't stir.

Undyne gritted her teeth, grabbing her phone quickly. She'd been worried about this for days, now. Alphys hadn't been completely up to snuff in those days, constantly pale and not eating much, and sleeping for so long and so heavily that it was troubling.

Undyne assumed it was from overworking herself, and now she had the proof.

As she called Toriel for help, she pulled Alphys's head into her lap, her hand slowly trailing over her forehead and spines, for to comfort Alphys as well as herself. Alphys didn't stir, but she didn't worsen, either - a good sign.

But Undyne was very, _very_ wrong about why.

* * *

 It took longer than Undyne liked, but Toriel eventually made it, accompanied by Asgore, who'd driven her. They both ran in, especially when they saw why.

Undyne looked up as Asgore leaned down and hugged onto her, and while she was distracted, Toriel pulled Alphys from her and laid her back down on the floor, this time on her back.

Her eyes narrowed the moment her hand touched Alphys's skin. She felt _something_ , then, and it made her hesitate. But when she leaned down and listened to Alphys breathe, she shook it off and began to examine her, using both her hands and her magic. She started with her chest, always afraid that something had gone wrong with her heart whenever something like this happened – but it was fine, beating just fine. Even her breathing was normal.

Undyne watched, trembling a little, even as Asgore knelt down and pulled her close, stroking her hair gently to comfort her. She watched Toriel's face closely, searching there for answers, and scared of what they could be.

Toriel frowned, then, raising her head to glance at Undyne for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, instead holding her glowing hand over Alphys's chest for a moment.

Then, slowly, she lowered it down further, using her magic to keep searching for the answer to this problem.

When something suddenly sparked, and her magic flared, instead of looking surprised, she nodded.

“What?” Undyne rasped out. “What is it?”

Toriel kept her hand where it was, instead lowering it and pressing it against Alphys's stomach, before sliding it just a little lower. Again, she nodded, something in her eyes flickering to life. Keeping her face carefully blank, she brought her other hand up to Alphys's head, letting her magic gently flow beneath her skin, and with that, Alphys stirred at last, moaning softly.

Undyne lunged forward to hug her, but Toriel shook her head, stopping her.

“Wh... wha' happen'...?” Alphys murmured, her eyes still closed and her words slurred together. Then, she jolted with a gasp, her eyes snapping open. “The test!” she cried, before she paled again and dropped back down, Toriel just barely catching her before she hit her head.

Toriel, before anyone could do or say anything else, leaned down and asked, “Have you been eating, Alphys?”

Alphys's eyes opened again slowly, looking confused. “I... I've been... It's been really busy! I eat!” When Toriel frowned at her, she bit her lip, but the repeated it. “I do eat, Toriel!”

“What--?” Undyne tried again, but Toriel again cut her off.

“Not enough, clearly, Alphys. And in your state, you should know better!” she chastised sharply.

Alphys gaped at her, completely thrown. “I-I... I don't...” Her eyes went to Undyne, her face showing panic. “What did I do?!” she cried. _“What did I do?!”_

Toriel blinked. “Wait, Alphys...” She sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. “You didn't know. Oh, of course not.”

“Tori,” Asgore broke in gently. “What's going on?”

Toriel raised her head and sat up straight. She looked so sombre that Undyne was seconds from screaming at her to just _say it._

Then, she grinned, her eyes going right to Undyne's, effectively scaring the poor Captain to speechlessness. She nodded, but Undyne didn't get it.

“Wait...” Alphys suddenly squeaked out, pushing herself up slowly so that she could sit up. “N-no... no...! _No!”_

Toriel laughed. “Yes, dear. I could easily sense it. It's rather obvious, how on earth did you miss it?”

Undyne lost her temper, then _. “Explain!”_ she snapped. “Or all of you eat spear!”

Alphys stared at her, now, too. “Undyne,” she whispered, before crawling over to her and sitting down in front of her, on her knees. “It... it's been a month, Undyne.”

“Yes, Alphys, I know how to read a fucking calendar,” she answered.

“N-no, I-I mean...” Alphys looked at Toriel and Asgore shyly, blushing, before she just grabbed Undyne's hand, pulled it under her shirt, and placed it flat upon her abdomen. “R-reach out,” she suggested.

Undyne frowned, but did, reaching out with her magic. Alphys watched her closely, keeping her hands held over Undyne's, unable to mask their shaking.

Just as then, Asgore's eyes flared and went to his wife's. She grinned wider, nodding, and he looked away quickly, covering his eyes.

After a moment, Undyne jumped, as though shocked, and she looked at Alphys, her mouth open. Her eye filled with tears, and she reached up with her other hand and touched Alphys's face, her lips trembling.

Alphys nodded again, smiling through tears of her own, and Undyne sobbed, pulling her hands away and throwing her arms around Alphys's neck, kissing her lips with a laugh of joy.

It was quite obvious what it was, but for the sake of clarity, it should be noted that Alphys was, indeed, pregnant.

* * *

 When they'd all managed to calm down, after a great deal of hugging, kissing, and cry, Alphys and Undyne resumed their work – but only after Alphys ate a sandwich. The sample was fine, just a little jarred from its sudden drop, but it was still good, and they managed to succeed with it, too.

Which mean that it was now time to administer the cures to the Amalgamates.

But first, there was another major distraction.

* * *

 That night, when they got home, Undyne declared that the night was to be spent in bed, all for Alphys, so that both she and their child could get the rest they deserved.

Alphys sighed, but allowed it. It was in part because it was easier to just give in than fight her, but also because... she actually kind of liked it. She liked being fussed over and coddled by Undyne. It was silly, but it was no less true.

Which was why, now, they were in their bed, with Alphys buried in most of their blankets and surrounded by food. She felt as if she were the centre of a shrine to her pregnant self, and it made her laugh – despite how seriously Undyne took it.

“Oh my gooood,” Undyne breathed out, her hands held under her chin and trembling. “Alphy, Alphy, let me touch again? Please?”

Alphys laughed. “Yes, of course, you don't have to ask!” she replied happily.

Undyne shifted closer, holding a hand out, her eye on Alphys's face and nervous. Alphys grabbed her hand, pulled it under all of the blankets, tucked it under her shirt, and placed it on her stomach.

Undyne immediately lit up. Alphys watched her, especially when she reached out with her magic to feel, and found so much tenderness and affection fill her.

She loved Undyne. There was nothing in the world that could ever stop her from doing so.

“Oh my god, Alphys, she's so fucking _tiny,”_ Undyne sobbed, rubbing her palm over her stomach slowly. Alphys sighed a little, the gesture very soothing. _“Ahhh_... Alphy, how doesn't she just vanish? She's so _tiny!”_

Alphys blushed, staring at her. She reached up with her other hand and touched Undyne's cheek. Undyne looked up, surprised to find Alphys looking at her that way.

“Hey,” she said softly, smiling. She kept her hand in place, as did Alphys.

“H-hi,” Alphys squeaked out, swallowing hard. Undyne looked so beautiful in that moment, so open and loving...

Undyne kissed her, and for a moment, when Alphys kissed back, there was only this: this nest of blankets and love, of new beginnings and fresh starts.

But then, Alphys's eyes suddenly flared, and she pulled away. “Undyne, lie down,” she said.

Undyne's eye sparked, and she grinned. She immediately did so, getting comfortable on her back, holding her arms out to catch Alphys like she'd expected.

Instead, Alphys sat down beside her, pulling her shirt up and her pants down a little. Undyne was so surprised that she didn't say a word, lowering her arms. When Alphys then placed her palms flat against Undyne's stomach, she jumped in surprise.

“Uh?” Undyne stammered, confused.

“Shh,” Alphys answered. Seconds later, she reached out, her hands sparking with yellow. Undyne squirmed a little, both from her touch as well as anticipation, staring up at Alphys eagerly.

Then, Alphys shut her eyes, lowered her head, and burst into tears.

Undyne's face fell, as did her stomach. She bit her lip, trying to smother it, but she couldn't help it: she looked away and covered her eyes.

She knew. She knew, and she was so disappointed. She didn't know how much it meant to her until she realised that it wasn't happening, and...

Alphys suddenly tackled her, grabbing her face and kissing her so deeply that she squeaked, her eye flaring in shock. She was too shocked to even kiss back, let alone move.

Alphys pulled away, beaming at her, her tears running down her cheeks. “Undyne... Undyne...!” she cried, unable to say much more than that.

But it was enough. Undyne stared at her, smiling so brightly that it hurt. “Really?” she cried. _“Really?!”_

“Yes! You're pregnant, too!” Alphys cried, holding her tight.

“Fuck!” Undyne cried in reply, laughing so hard that she shook them both. “Fuck!!”

For a moment, they just hugged and kissed each other, laughing and crying at the same time, unable to believe their luck.

Then, Undyne laid back and snorted. “Whoops.”

Alphys giggled, burying her face into Undyne's chest happily. “It's okay,” she replied, her voice wavering. “It really is. I-I... I...” She blushed, so much that Undyne felt it, especially when Alphys grabbed her breasts and tried to bury her face between them, making her laugh so hard she started coughing.

“You what?” Undyne asked, once they were calm enough.

Alphys raised her head, beaming at her, her tail wagging so fast it was a blur. “I... I’m sorry, but... I wanted this! I-I wanted us to be... I wanted us to _both_ be...!”

Undyne, this time, tackled her onto her back, kissing her so hard that she moaned, grabbing hold of Undyne and returning it just as fervently.

“Me too,” Undyne whispered between kisses. Then, she pulled away, looking down at Alphys, who stared up at her with such happiness that it made her eye well up again. “Uh...” she murmured. “C-can we still...?”

Alphys giggled, wrapped her arms and legs around her, and kissed her again, nodding.

They didn't leave that bed for the rest of the night.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVERYONE GO BACK AND RE-READ THE END OF THE LAST CHAPTER; I ADDED A HUGE CHUNK TO IT AND YOU GOTTA READ THAT FIRST. GO, NOW.

From there, everything was so easy, when compared to what they'd had to do to get to this point.

Well, almost.

Every single time Alphys gave one of the Amalgamates their cures, she'd cry. She's start quietly, scared tears, deeply worried tears that came no matter how hard she tried to hold back. Then, one the cure started to take effect – and she saw that it was working, not worsening – those tears would become louder, higher-pitched, and with laughter.

Then, they would become laughs, alone, when those freed monsters hugged her – one at a time.

* * *

That took another month in itself, both to get all of the families together and to finish all of the cures. By then, despite keeping quiet about it, it was impossible to keep their pregnancies to themselves, anymore.

This was mostly because of Undyne. She would be pregnant for a total four months, which was why, by the second, she was starting to show more than Alphys was (who would be pregnant for six), and it was starting to get noticeable. 

But it wasn't just that. It was because Undyne couldn't keep quiet about it, anymore. She was too excited, too happy, and at six weeks, had told _everyone_.

She was discreet when it came to Alphys, however. The only way anyone found out was on the day of the last cures being administered, this time to Lemon Bread.

When Aaron's now-cured brother had moved to hug Alphys, she yelped and stopped him; she'd been in too many of Aaron's hugs to trust that his brother could restrain himself from squeezing her as hard as he could.

It had puzzled everyone but Undyne, as Alphys had been rather _huggy_ for everyone else. But Alphys didn't want to risk it, especially _this_ early, and she stopped him.

When asked why, she went scarlet, speechless, and moved to hide behind Undyne – who rolled her eye and moved to the side.

She leaned down and murmured, “Just _tell_ them.” Alphys sighed, stood up taller, and nodded.

When she'd finished, she once again had to fend off not just Aaron's brother, but Aaron, as well, practically defeating the whole purpose.

But Undyne had laughed so hard she started crying, and for Alphys, she felt that was kind of worth it.

When the news for both the cures and the pregnancies became public, Alphys was terrified. She didn't want to know what they would say to her after curing the Amalgamates, and she sure as hell didn't want to know what they would say now she was pregnant – and with Undyne's baby. So she didn't even tell Undyne about it.

Undyne had certainly lost her temper when _her_ pregnancy went public – and the fact that it was Alphys's. The first day after they ran the story on the evening news, Undyne's phone practically overflowed with emails about it.

At first, she was thrilled; she figured it was all good and happy, and filled with congratulations. And indeed, some of them were.

But she quickly discovered that it was – at _best_ – one out of three.

The first one she got, sadly, was in front of Alphys.

* * *

They were watching TV - anime; the news had just finished – when Undyne's phone chimed. She'd been expecting one from Papyrus, so she answered it.

When she did, she jolted up and snarled. This is exactly what it said:

 _“Dear Captain Undyne,_  
_I’ve been a long time fan and supporter of you, both as a soldier as well as a teacher. I’ve always supported you in everything you've done, and I was especially heartbroken when you almost died._  
_But the fact is, you almost died because of Doctor Alphys. And not only have you still decided to marry her – after almost killing you with her stupid experiments on you – but now you're going to have her child?_  
_It's not too late, Captain. There's still time to correct this. There's still time to cancel the wedding, terminate the pregnancy, and rid your life of that cancer that is Doctor Alphys. Please, reconsider. I’ll even help you._  
_It's not to late. We all know you're trapped by her, that it's not love, but some kind of power she has over you - blackmail? – and there is a group of us willing to help you in every way you can._  
_Especially if that means ridding the world of Doctor Alphys, too. We can help with that as well._  
_Let me know.”_

It was signed, but she didn’t see the name; she threw the phone across the room with a shout, where it hit the wall so hard that the back of it broke off and the battery came out.

“Undyne!” Alphys cried, shocked. “Why the hell would you do that?!”

Undyne lowered down, grabbing hold of the blankets so hard they tore a little, and she growled, low and long in her throat. She buried her face into the bed, trembling, and one hand went to her abdomen, curling around the comforting curve already there.

Soon, she felt Alphys hug her. “What was it?” she whispered gently, stroking her hair slowly.

“Alphy,” Undyne sobbed. “Why can't _anyone_ ever see you as you _are?!”_

Alphys paled, glad that Undyne couldn't see her. With that, she knew what had caused Undyne's hurt. “O-oh...” she murmured. “You... you too, huh?”

Undyne's head went up, staring at Alphys with shock, and Alphys nodded sadly. “Hate mail?” she went on. “Th-they want me to die? And... and the child I gave you?”

Undyne's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't speak. Hearing Alphys say it made it so much worse.

Alphys smiled sadly. “Y-yeah,” she whispered. “They send me the same... They send me similar: that the baby you gave me should be taken away from me, and I should die in childbirth. Or... well... those are the _nicest_ ones...”

She tried to laugh, but it came out weak and broken. It made Undyne feel like shit.

“Alphy,” Undyne murmured, not looking up at her. Alphys winced, especially seeing the expression on her face.

Then, she said:  _“I can't deal with it, anymore...”_

Alphys froze, her blood turning to ice. She went so pale that she felt it, and she even felt faint. She sat there, unable to move or speak; all she could do was start to cry, trembling.

Then, she whispered, “Okay.”

Undyne jumped, then looked up, confused.

Alphys turned her head away, before she murmured, “It-it's okay... I'll... I-I... I'll go st-stay with...” She paused, her eyes closing; she literally could think of _no one,_ in her panic, with whom she could stay. “Uh... go b-back... Under-Underground...”

Undyne was shocked, her heart beating so fast it hurt. She shook her head, reaching out to her, but Alphys slipped from their bed and out of her reach before she could, her whole body shaking so hard that she stumbled.

In silence, Alphys then went to the closet and pulled out a suitcase.

At that, Undyne felt herself fill with anguish.

She got up right away, ran to Alphys, and grabbed the suitcase, ripping it from her hands and throwing it aside with a cry. Alphys turned to her, startled, and Undyne grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her. Her eye blazed, and she looked furious – despite the tears streaking down her cheeks.

“If you leave me, I will... I will...” Undyne snarled, stammering over her words from her rage. “I’ll fucking _follow_ you, _grab_ you by your _fucking tail,_ and _pull you back home, Alphys._ You _fucking_ see if I _fucking don't!!”_

Alphys stared at her, still pale and trembling, still unable to cry. “B-but, Undyne,” she whispered, her hands tangling in front of her. “Th-they hate you because of-of me...”

“Do you think I fucking _care?!”_ Undyne shouted, shaking her again. “Do you think I fucking give a shit about what they say about me?! Especially when it comes to _you?!”_

Alphys bit her lip; it had started trembling. She started to pull away again, but Undyne growled and pulled her back.

Then, she grabbed her and picked her up.

Alphys squeaked, shocked, her eyes flaring. “Undyne, Undyne, stop! You-you c-can't--!”

Undyne ignored her, throwing her onto the bed without a word, before she jumped down with her and pinned her down, grabbing her face into her hands. Alphys froze again, swallowing hard, finally unable to hold her tears back, now.

“Alphys,” Undyne snarled, her fingers digging into her cheeks. “I _love_ you.”

That was not what she expected. Alphys closed her eyes, shaking her head, but Undyne stopped her.

“I do, Alphys. I do!”

“I-I know!” Alphys cried, surprising Undyne. “I know. B-but I understand... You-you said... you said you couldn't deal anymore... I get it. You-you want to leave me... it's too much...”

“Yes, it's too much,” Undyne agreed tersely. “It's too much to fucking _ignore_ , anymore. It's not too much for me to deal with, with you! It's too much to deal with it and ignore it, anymore!”

Alphys closed her eyes, then covered her face, humiliated, now. She was such an idiot, and she'd just made it obvious that she still expected Undyne to leave her.

“Alphys, you are the _mother_ of my _child!”_ Undyne went on. “And I'm the _mother of yours!_ Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?!”

Alphys felt a burst of hurt and anger at that. She lowered her hands and glared up at her. “How could you say that to me, Undyne?!” she snapped. “It means _everything_ to me!”

“Then why, on the surface and in the Underground, would you ever think I would leave you?! Especially right now, when we're both fucking pregnant?!” Undyne shouted.

“Because... because... because even now, I'm _trash_! Even now they want me to die! Even now, I’m never good enough for _you!!”_ Alphys shouted back, before bursting into tears that robbed every single word of speech from her. She literally _bawled_ , her whole body wracked with her agony, and she covered her face with her hands and lowered her head down onto the pillows.

Undyne stared at her, those words striking her like slaps across the face. “Oh, my Alphy…” she whispered. Her hands softened upon Alphys's cheeks, but Alphys pushed them away.

“I'm _trash_ , Undyne, I'm _fucking trash...!”_ Alphys sobbed.

“No, Alphy,” Undyne whispered, leaning down and pressing against her, gathering her up into her arms. Again, Alphys tried to pull away, and even struggled with Undyne a little, but eventually gave up, the feel of Undyne, despite it all, a comfort beyond all measure.

“My love,” Undyne whispered, stroking her forehead, and kissing it. Alphys gasped out a sob, about to protest, again, but unable to. “My love... _please_ , Alphy... I love you so much... it _kills_ me to see you like this... please... _please_... enough is enough. Let me help you through it all, like we _promised_ we would. “

Alphys pulled her hands away, lowering them to her chest – then her abdomen, feeling the flicker of life, there, life she and Undyne had created.

“Yes,” she agreed brokenly. “I'm sorry... no more... I can't take it anymore, either, Undyne! Every single one _hurts_ me! I _can't!”_

Undyne lowered down and embraced her tight, and Alphys reached up and clung to her. “Please,” she begged. “Please help me... you-you're right... it's taking me away from you...”

Undyne kissed her cheeks right away, nodding. “Yes, Alphy,” she whispered gently. “I promise. I'm never leaving you, no matter what, _understand?!”_

Alphys surprised her, again: she nodded without hesitation, before burying her face into her shoulder and crying.

Undyne kept her promise, to – and how.


	29. Chapter 29

Undyne loved being pregnant. She loved the idea of having a small person growing inside of her, she loved the fact that it was both hers and Alphys's, and loved the fact that she was nurturing that person and helping them grow.

Alphys, it turned out, hated being pregnant. Granted, she felt the same things that Undyne did – just on good days, not most of them, like Undyne apparently did.

For Undyne, pregnancy was so easy, so effortless. But for Alphys, it was anything but.

Alphys ended taking up a lot of days off, and it was unfortunate. Despite already being bigger than Alphys, Undyne had only taken a third as many sickdays, and still insisted on working, despite that size. (Toriel later insisted she start her maternity leave, the day she hit exactly three months, which pissed her off, but she complied.)

Those days, for Alphys, _sucked_. Undyne couldn't spend the time with her, and she ended up – because Undyne yelled at him for an hour to do so – being coddled by Mettaton. She loved Mettaton, had for quite a while, but the first time he did it, he asked her hard, frustrating questions – the opposite of coddling.

* * *

Alphys was curled up in a sweaty ball in the corner of the couch, having just thrown up all of the soup Mettaton had made for her. Mettaton was currently grumbling in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to make her, instead.

“S-sorry...” she murmured.

“That's the fifth time you've said that, darling, and if you say it again, I'm throwing you into the dustbin.”

Alphys growled instead, and she heard him laugh. It made her smile, oddly, and she instead said, “Thank you, Metta.”

Silence met her words, worrying her. She looked up, confused, to find him coming back into the room with her. He stood in front of her and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You have fine ways of showing it,” he answered, his voice flat.

Alphys stared up at him, confused. “I didn't mean to throw it up,” she protested.

Mettaton rolled his eyes and knelt down in front of her. “Not what I meant, plumbum,” he answered. “Why didn't you tell me you'd given Undyne DT?”

Alphys blushed. “Because I knew you'd judge me. Like you are now.”

Mettaton glowered at her. “No, I would've tried to help.”

“No, _now_ you'd try to help, but back _then_ , you would've judged me, Metta.” She curled up tighter and hid her face in her knees.

Mettaton sighed; she was actually right. “Alright, you have me, there. I just... Honestly, darling, I wish you'd of trusted me, more.”

Alphys bit her lip, then murmured. “Metta, you're here with, right now. Maybe I didn't trust you back then, but I'm trusting you with everything right now.”

Mettaton gently touched her shoulder. Alphys looked up at him again, nodding. “I'm sorry,” he said softly. “Has it been really awful, my beauty?”

Alphys snorted. “Calling me a beauty in this condition makes you the greatest actor in the world.”

Mettaton was quiet, looking away for a moment. “I... wasn't being sarcastic,” he admitted.

Alphys looked away, propping her chin on her hand, too, annoyed; she was certain he was lying, and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

“Yeah, I look fucking _great_. I’ve been puking every day, haven't been able to eat anything I like, and fall asleep in the stupidest of places. _Gorgeous_.” Her eyes sparked. “Especially since I've been an emotional basketcase: hormones and harassment, a beautiful combination.”

Mettaton was looking at her by the time she was done. “So, then, it _is_ all bad.”

Alphys was quiet, still refusing to look at him. She didn't say anything for a while, and when he was about to say something else, she spoke.

“No,” she whispered. “It's not _all_ bad.” Absently, her other hand went to her middle, rubbing it slowly and with visible tenderness. “I... I want this… not the gross stuff, but...” Her eyes softened. “The _wonderful_ stuff. The reality that...” Her voice wavered, alongside her eyes. “That Undyne and I are going to be mothers. With... with our own children... m-made from love...”

She was in tears by the end, and she lowered her head back into her knees, succumbing to them. Mettaton sat down beside her and pulled her close, and she curled up against him, sobbing, now.

“I love her,” she croaked out. “I love her, Metta... I love her so much...”

“She knows, lovely,” Mettaton replied with a smile, rubbing her back. “And she loves you.”

“Does she?” Alphys wondered. “Does she love me, does she know I love her?”

“Good fucking god, yes,” Mettaton laughed. “She loves you very much, and know you love her, too. She makes it no secret, how much she loves you.”

Alphys blinked, sniffling. She knew that Undyne had no problems expressing her affection physically in public, but even Alphys had to admit that it went into PDA-territory at times. And when she spoke of her, again, she made her affection no secret – going so far as to venture into TMI-territory, too.

And now, especially now, Undyne was bragging about being pregnant - and always made a point that it was Alphys's baby, and that Alphys's baby was hers. She said it without flinching, shame, or even a twitch. She beamed every single time, to.

“O-oh...” she whispered.

“Yes,” Mettaton agreed. “You silly putz,” he added amicably. “No wonder it took the both of you so long.”

Alphys glowered at him, and he laughed.

After that, it was much more relaxed and fun, and Alphys found that she rather liked Mettaton's coddling – personal questions or not. She did ask him how he managed to make the time for her, considering his popularity, but he merely glared at her; clearly he felt that she was more important.

But he did add, delighting her, “Plus, it keeps me... around. You know. Around everyone. In case any of them want to... _chat_ with me...”

When Alphys hugged him, he grumbled, but he hugged back.

* * *

“Hm,” Undyne murmured.

Alphys's eyes slowly fluttered open. She'd been lying on Undyne's legs, curled around Undyne middle as much as possible, with one arm around her stomach and the other around her own. She'd been listening – and feeling – the baby kick, and she loved every second, and didn't want to miss it.

“Hm?” Alphys echoed.

Undyne growled, rubbing her belly slowly where she'd just recently been kicked, before she went on. “We need names, Alphy.”

Alphys's eyes widened, feeling herself blush. Of course they needed names; Undyne would give birth in two weeks, now, and of course needed a name to give their first-born.

“I was thinking names that-that compliment each other— _eee_!” Alphys replied, before her voice trailed off into a happy squeal the moment she felt a kick under her hand.

Undyne laughed. “What, you mean like Sun and Moon? Jibber and Jabber? Rita and Runt?”

Alphys blushed. “Okay, fine, when you put it like that...”

“Nah, I want names that _mean_ something, Alphy,” Undyne murmured, closing her eye and smiling. “Names that actually reflect how they got here, what they mean, y'know? What we went through...”

Alphys frowned. “Undyne, hand me my phone.”

Undyne did, reaching over to the nightstand to grab it. They both stumbled a little in the exchange, but it also made them both laugh.

“Okay,” Alphys said, on her back, now, and resting her head against Undyne's thighs. She held the phone up so she could still use it, and it made Undyne grin. “Tell me what you think of when you think of our kids.”

Undyne’s smile flickered, then faded, her eye widening a little. Both hands went to her middle, and she closed her eye, leaning back and sighing. Alphys heard her and waited patiently.

“I feel like...” Undyne murmured, her voice soft but sombre. “Like... like it was supposed to happen. Not the shooting...” She paused. “Well, hold on. Maybe the shooting, yeah. Because if we didn't do what we did, we wouldn't be _here_ at all.”

Alphys nodded, typing a few things. It was true. Undyne noticed her nod, and it gave her incentive to go on.

“The circumstances were shitty, Alphy. The shittiest. But we got through it.” Undyne's eye remained closed, which was good, as it had filled with tears. “We kicked those circumstances' asses and survived. And now our souls are stronger for it. And... and so are theirs. ‘Cuz they're us. Part of us.”

She blushed. “Whatever!” she concluded, feeling a little silly, now.

Alphys, however, was beaming up at her, thrilled. She struggled for a moment, until Undyne noticed and grabbed her hand, helping her sit up. The moment she could, Alphys leaned down again to hug Undyne, making her laugh once more – exactly what Alphys wanted.

Then, she murmured, “Th-that was perfect. Would... would you like to see the two names I got from that?”

Undyne stared at her, shocked. “How the hell?”

Alphys giggled and held up her phone, lying down beside her and resting her head on her shoulder. Undyne snuggled close and read the first, then the second, and blinked hard: she was very close to tears again.

“Fuck,” she said softly, her voice wavering. “They're perfect. Holy shit, they're _perfect_.”

“Which one is yours?” Alphys wondered.

“Oh, the first one, for sure,” Undyne laughed. “Only a kid that comes out of _me_ can have a name like _that!”_

Alphys grinned; she actually had had the same thought. “Perfect,” she agreed.

Undyne wrapped her arms around Alphys, then, kissing the tip of her nose and gathering her closer. “Our kids,” she murmured.

Alphys smiled, staring right into her eye and nodding. “Yes,” she agreed. “Our kids.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, this went WAY over the word limit, but whatever.
> 
> Thank you to dear Ember for giving Undyne's daughter the perfect name.

“Oh. Oh, _no_. Oh, no, no, _no_. Fuck off, _right_ _now_ , young lady!”

Alphys had to wake up to this. There was no way _anyone_ could sleep through it, let alone ignore it, so she was up immediately. When she could, she realised it was still dark, and carefully rolled over to Undyne, who was sitting up and hunching over... looking _furious_.

Alphys pushed herself up, sitting cross-legged beside her, while she added more about threats to her unborn daughter.

“Undyne,” she offered when she could, placing a hand on her shaking shoulder.

“Alphy,” Undyne murmured, her voice so soft that it surprised Alphys. “Uh. This afternoon. Uh. Fuck...” She growled. “When I said I had indigestion...”

Alphys's eyes flared, and she grabbed her glasses and put them on, turning the light on a second after. “How long?!” she demanded.

Undyne was happy her face was hidden by her arms as well as her knees, because she didn't want Alphys to see the expression on her face. “Uh,” she repeated. “Since... yesterday night.”

Alphys stared at her, starting to tremble. “So you've had ‘indigestion' for almost an entire day – no – longer, now,” she added, checking the nightstand's clock radio. “And only _now_ , on the eve of the second day, did you think to tell me?!”

Undyne winced. “I know... but, last time, the false labour--,”

“Undyne, I'm going to kick your...” Alphys covered her face for a moment, trying to calm down. “Okay,” she said when she could. “What else?”

Guilty silence.

“Are you _kidding me?!”_

Undyne wished she could shrink into a tiny ball. “It was only an hour ago, and it's gone now! Who cares?!”

“An hour ago?! Undyne, my god, next you'll tell you've been having--,”

Undyne growled, her nails digging into her arms and her heels digging into the bed. She froze, trembling, keeping every sound inside of her save that low, angry growl. It was only when she stopped that she relaxed – and gasped for breath.

“For _fuck’s_ sake,” Alphys upgraded.

“Haha, no biggie...” Undyne tried, sounding very pathetic while doing so. “It's just... Papyrus... you know... bad cook... bleh.”

Alphys had already risen to her feet and was getting dressed while Undyne babbled. She didn't pause in what she was doing, but she snapped, “Don't pull that, Undyne. Papyrus is an excellent cook, and you know it.”

Undyne grumbled, but didn't argue. Then, suddenly, her head went up and she cried, “You're still gonna midwife, right?!”

Alphys stopped, sighing and rolling her eyes, before she dropped the half-full suitcase and went back to the bed, sitting down and hugging Undyne as best as she could.

“Yes, of course," she said gently, as the moment she hugged Undyne, she felt how badly she trembled. Undyne clung to her tight, so tight that her nails bit through Alphys's clothes.

“I'm scared,” she whispered, her voice wavering and tiny. “I'm so scared.”

“I know,” Alphys agreed. “I am, too. But we'll be surrounded by people we trust, and I promise you: I _will_ catch her.”

Undyne moved closer. “Yeah? You'll be the first one she sees?”

Alphys opened her eyes, blinking. “O-oh!” she murmured, sudden delight filling her. “Y-yes!”

Undyne suddenly relaxed at that. “Fuck. Thank _fuck_. I love you, Alphy.”

For a moment, Alphys held her and comforted her as best as she could, and soon, Undyne's tremors eased.

“Undyne,” she then said. “Be honest with me. _Was_ that your first contraction?”

Undyne nodded into her chest. “Uh-huh,” she agreed. “She's funny, I'll give her that.”

“Okay,” Alphys murmured. “And you're sure the plug is out?”

“Either that or I pissed out a giant worm.”

“Thanks for that, Undyne,” Alphys grumbled, which made Undyne finally laugh. “Now, let me help you dress, and let's get to the hospital.”

Alphys moved to get to her feet, but Undyne suddenly clutched her tighter.

“Alphy,” she whispered, her voice suddenly choked up. “Alphy, our daughter... She's about to be here... She's gonna be _real_...”

Alphys shivered a little, grinning and clutching her back. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Awesome, huh?”

“I'm so glad it's with you.”

Alphys closed her eyes and bit her lip, now close to tears, herself. She swallowed hard, then murmured, “Undyne, you have no idea how much this means to me, how wonderful this makes me feel...”

Undyne raised her head and grabbed hold of Alphys's face, her eye searching Alphys's. “Words from my heart, out of your mouth,” she replied.

Alphys leaned forward and kissed her lips at that, something Undyne returned with both need and want.

When she pulled away, Alphys beamed at Undyne. “Let's have a baby.”

Undyne nodded. “One of two,” she agreed with a small smile.

* * *

Undyne had had a wonderful pregnancy. It had been easy, fun, and a glorious experience for her. She'd loved it, because it reminded her how happy she was to be starting a family with Alphys.

But her labour was hard. Incredibly hard. It was long, and difficult. It took her half a day to dilate fully, and the process was agony for her.

Undyne was fit, strong, and healthy – especially now that she'd been cured and her determination had been replaced. The moment she could, she'd started working out, again, and did so through most of her pregnancy.

Both she and Alphys had expected a smooth and easy birth because of this. It was an easy expectation to have.

But both were very, very wrong.

* * *

Undyne was sobbing by now. She was lying back, her eye shut tight and her other glinting slightly (only noticeable if one looked for it). She was so pale it scared Alphys, despite knowing that Undyne was in good hands – the best. Both she and Toriel were her main caregivers, but they were also helped by staff who loved Undyne very much (many of them were the very same nurses whom had taken care of them both, before).

But it was now thirteen hours in, and while she was fully dilated, no matter how hard she pushed, she failed; their daughter wasn't even close to crowning.

“Alphy, what's wrong with me? What's _wrong_ with me?” Undyne sobbed, her eye shut tight, as Alphys cleaned her face gently with a cold cloth. “Why isn't she coming out? _What's wrong with me?!_ Please, Alphy... don't let her die!!”

Alphys shook her head and hugged Undyne carefully, rocking her slowly. Undyne burst into exhausted tears, too weak to even hug back.

Alphys's eyes went to Toriel's. Toriel bit her lip, understanding, and nodded. With a gentle kiss to Asgore's head, she left, and in a hurry.

Undyne hadn't noticed. She was so tired, so confused and in pain, that she only could feel Alphys, and truly only cared about that. “Alphy,” she begged, her head resting heavily on her wife's shoulder. “Please... _please_...”

“I’m right here,” Alphys promised. “I'm going to get you through this, love.”

It was then that a doctor came in, followed closely by Toriel. She was a monster, one that seemed to fit in absolutely no category when it came to the origins of her looks, and thus escapes description. She was sombre, and she went right to the foot of Undyne's bed, kneeling down and gently reaching up.

Undyne flinched, then jerked away to snarl, “Get _away_ fr-from me!”

“Undyne, she's helping us,” Alphys told her.

“N-no, I don't want _anyone_ t-touching--,” Undyne then jolted, a shout of pain ripping from her, and she grabbed the bedrail with both hands and tried to pull herself up, to get away, to run from this pain and never feel it again...

Alphys held her close, and she trembled, still trying to get away _. “Stop it!”_ she shouted _. “Stop touching me!”_

To everyone's surprise, a bright blue spear flickered to life and hung right over the doctor's head, about to be loosed.

Alphys grabbed her hands and pulled them to her, desperate, now, to calm her down, and slipped them under her shirt to press them over her own belly.

Undyne froze, her hands twitching, before suddenly lying flat, her touch so soft that Alphys teared up a little. The moment that happened, the spear vanished, and Undyne started to cry – loud, gut-wrenching sobs, the kind that one makes when about to snap but trying with everything they had not to.

The doctor once again began to touch Undyne, and Undyne shouted again for her to stop, but this time didn't try to escape. Instead, her hands started rubbing Alphys's stomach, trying to soothe herself with the feel of it.

When the doctor finally pulled away, Undyne was still sobbing. “Okay,” she said, standing up and moving to Undyne's side. “Captain Undyne?”

“What do you _want_ from me?!” Undyne answered.

“To have your baby,” the doctor replied. “But you can't. Undyne, you're too narrow for her size.”

Alphys's eyes flared in shock. “Sh-she is? B-but, doctor, I-I... I examined her, I checked her, I-I--,”

“It's no one's fault,” the doctor quickly cut in, speaking over Undyne's tears. “Your daughter is just larger than expected, and Undyne's too narrow for her.”

“Fuck,” Undyne cried. “No, no! _No! Please!”_

“Captain,” the doctor said firmly. “Listen to me: this is _not_ a problem. At least, not a major one. We just need to use another method.”

Alphys bit her lip, closing her eyes. She knew exactly what that meant. And while she agreed that there was no other choice, she wished otherwise. 

“Alphy, what is she _talking_ about?!” Undyne demanded.

Suddenly, she felt Asgore touch the top of her head, and she jumped, frightened in her state, until she recognised him. “D-Dad,” she stammered. “Dad, help me...?”

He stroked her sweat-soaked hair slowly. “Undyne, listen to me, right now.”

Undyne swallowed hard and went quiet; she always obeyed Asgore in moments like these, moments that she couldn't control. She could feel Alphys still holding her, too, and with both, she could feel almost like herself. Almost.

“You need to have surgery done, dear,” Asgore said carefully. “That's what the doctor means.” When Undyne stared up at him, terrified, he smiled. “You'll be awake, unless they need you asleep, which I doubt, and the moment she's out, she'll be in your arms. Alright?”

“D-Dad,” Undyne stammered, fresh tears welling up. “Dad, I want her to live. Don't let her die. _Don't let her die!”_

“That's what this surgery is for,” Alphys added, kissing her forehead. “I’m going to be right beside you through it all, Undyne. But the doctor needs your consent.”

“Will it save her?” Undyne murmured, staring up at Alphys, her eye a little glassy.

“It will save you both,” Alphys replied firmly.

“Yes,” Undyne agreed. “Yes! Please!” She turned to the doctor. “Please save her! Just... don't fucking hurt me again!!”

The doctor smiled. “Alright. Let's go.”

* * *

From there, _finally_ , it was easy. Undyne, despite her eagerness and fear, went into a small doze the moment she was given an epidural and a topical anaesthetic for the surgery site. She hadn't meant to; she wanted to be awake for the whole thing. But she was just too exhausted.

Alphys was sitting beside her, ordered by the doctor to do so. The hours had taken their toll on her, too, and she shook with fatigue and worry. The doctor was worried she'd overdo it and risk hurting both herself and her baby, and when she paused to actually listen to her, Alphys realised that she was, too. So she sat down, held Undyne's hand between her own, and spoke to her, soothing words, comforting words, all about their baby. Undyne heard them from far away, and it kept her dozing and calm – and smiling faintly.

It was only when Alphys had to leave her to go to the foot of her bed that she felt unhappy, but she was still too tired to make an ordeal about it.

She was so calm that she didn't hear it, at first. She thought maybe she was dreaming, though her ears twitched and she woke up, despite it. When she focused, she finally heard it – and cried out, struggling to sit up.

Crying. Or, more accurately, _screaming_.

But Alphys snapped at her to lie back down, and she was so shocked by her tone that she immediately obeyed, her eye wide and her whole body shaking.

After a few minutes, the crying had softened, and Alphys was suddenly back at her side, holding a small bundle wrapped in green.

Undyne stared up at her, her eye spilling over, but she was grinning. She held her arms out at once, and with a giggle, Alphys placed the bundle upon her chest. Those cries immediately stopped, being replaced with curious, comforted noises.

Undyne finally got to look at her daughter, at last. And the moment she did, she laughed, so hard that it startled her poor baby, but she couldn't help it.

She leaned down, pressed her forehead to her baby's, and whispered, “Hello, Psyche.”

Then, she laughed again, this time sobbing, too. Alphys moved closer, trembling; she was crying, too, unable to help it, but she also was grinning, her hands out but shaking. When she realised, she placed one atop Undyne's head, the other atop Psyche's.

“Holy fuck!" Undyne sobbed, her eye closed and her forehead still pressed to her daughter's. “There's no fucking _doubt_ she's yours.” And she laughed again, so happy for that.

The reason was simple: Psyche looked almost identical to Undyne, in practically every single way, save a short tail and a tiny little nose – and the colour of her skin. She was _yellow_ , as yellow as Alphys, and when she opened her eyes, the sclerae and irises were also Alphys's – just Undyne's in shape.

Alphys nodded, leaning down and pressing her cheek to Undyne's, sniffling. Her hand went to Psyche's cheek, trailing the fingertips over it slowly, and those eyes went right to hers, blinking slowly.

“Undyne,” the doctor broke in gently, “We're going to clean you up, now. It's going to take a while. Are you okay, or do you need to sleep?”

“No, please?” Undyne murmured, shaking her head, her eye glued to Psyche. “Please. Let me stay awake.”

The doctor smiled, touched her knee briefly with a nod, then went to work. It was a process that, for Undyne, was so easy to ignore. She spent the whole time holding her daughter – and being held by the mother of her daughter.

Plus, there was one major distraction. “Undyne, do you think you want to try breast-feeding?” Alphys wondered, her hand now covering one of Undyne's, the other still stroking Undyne's soaked hair.

Undyne blinked, then nodded, beaming. She'd read so much about this, and was eager to try; she wanted to start bonding with Psyche immediately, and was even trying to tug down her gown before she realised she was only wearing blankets and her bra. She blushed, looking up at Alphys with an imploring – yet shy – expression.

“I wore the wrong bra!” she cried, her eye filling with tears. She was incredibly embarrassed, and her hormones and exhaustion didn't help at all.

Alphys nodded. “It's okay,” she promised.

Carefully, she reached underneath Undyne with one hand, and with the expertise only she could ever have, unhooked Undyne's bra. Then, she tugged it off, an arm at a time, and stuffed it into the bag with the rest of her clothes.

Undyne was staring at her, scarlet; Psyche was watching, too, though she was clearly less invested and very sleepy.

“Fuck,” she whispered. “You're so fucking incredible and _hot.”_

Alphys laughed, having to sit down after that; it was a hearty laugh, after all. Undyne did, too, but only a little; she _wasn't_ joking.

Then, she flinched with a sharp gasp, her eye flaring. “Stop!” she shouted, holding Psyche closer to her. “That hurts! _Stop it!”_

The doctor and nurses froze, surprised; they were merely suctioning out the placenta, and had already given Undyne the epidural, thus they'd never expected pain. But she wasn't joking: it tugged, really hard, and it hurt.

One nurse went to her side and checked her IV, then smiled. He left for a moment, then returned with a new bag, and hooked it up right away, setting it to fast drip. The second it hit, Undyne's eye fluttered closed, and she laid back for a moment, surprised. She hadn't realised how bad it hurt until it stopped.

“Wait...” she murmured. “Can I still nurse?”

“If you're not too tired,” Alphys agreed, smiling at the nurse, then the doctor, when they resumed their work.

“Not tired enough to miss _this,”_ Undyne answered, her eye opening again.

Psyche had been watching her the whole time, occasionally reaching out to her, and was doing so the moment their eyes met. Undyne felt such deep love punch her heart that she pressed her forehead back to Psyche's – who immediately grabbed a fistful of Undyne's hair and made soft noises about it.

Undyne started crying again, the gesture so wonderful that she had to.

With Alphys's help, she was propped up on several pillows, and again, with Alphys helping her, she began to nurse Psyche.

Alphys sat down on the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around them as best as she could, crying silently. Undyne rested her forehead onto her chest a little, her eye still sharply fixed on Psyche, but there was no worry to be had: Psyche had latched on with barely a blink and was nursing so eagerly that it surprised both mothers.

“Oh, no,” Undyne whispered, grinning. “She's got both of our appetites.”

Alphys giggled, giving the top of her head a kiss. “How does it feel, love?”

Undyne bit her lip, then whispered, “Perfect.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is also way longer than expected. What can I say: I know more about childbirth than most parents, both from my upbringing as well as research. Lol. And I'm childfree!! Lmao. 
> 
> Once again, thank you, Ember, for giving Alphys's daughter her perfect name :3.

Once Undyne and Psyche got home, it seemed as if, with that horrible labour, Undyne had paid her dues in the baby-care department. It went back to – almost – being easy, again, despite it all.

Psyche was an amazing baby. Her colic lasted only weeks, and she was less of a screamer than her parents expected, given her dam. But, no: Psyche cried, yes, and when she did, she was loud, but she didn't do it very often, and when she did, she immediately stopped once she had either of her mothers' attention.

Undyne had to rest those first few weeks, too, so it was Alphys who ended up suffering quite a bit of it. But, as mentioned, it certainly wasn't horrible, and the best part was that she was a fast learner, too. And truly, Alphys loved getting to know her new daughter.

When Undyne was fully recovered, she went almost obsessive. She insisted on doing everything she could, all of it, for two reasons: the first, and the most important, was because she loved Psyche so damned much and was her thrilled servant.

But the second reason was one she kept to herself: she was worried about Alphys.

By now, it was clear that Alphys would have a hard birth. Considering her entire pregnancy was a trial all on its own, she expected the birthing process to be no less frustrating - more, even.

But oddly, the closer she got to her due date, the more she seemed to just... sleep through the worst of it. Even during moments that she was convinced she would never sleep again, she was out like a light the moment she was comfortable enough. She was relieved.

But it worried Undyne, anyway. So she made sure to do everything she could on her own, very rarely asking Alphys for help, and only when she, herself, was exhausted. Alphys didn't like that, but she always found out too late, so there was little she could do.

When Alphys finally went into labour, it was... strange. And kind of ironic, too.

* * *

Alphys was hiccupping in her sleep.

Undyne, when she walked into the living room to wake her and ask her what she wanted for supper, heard this, and was confused. She actually just stopped in the middle of the room, Psyche in her arms and peering up at her, and just listened to her wife... _hiccupping_ … in her _sleep_. In the last hours of the afternoon and on their couch.

“How in the fuck...?” Undyne whispered, peering down at Psyche in hopes that she would have an answer. When all she got were bubbles, she went back to looking at Alphys, tilting her head to just listen.

But Alphys seemed fine. She slept soundly, save the tiny jumps she made with each hiccup, and didn't even know she was doing it. It was almost as if she were snoring... except it was with something completely unnatural to sleep through.

Psyche was now watching Alphys closely, her eyes widening each time Alphys jumped. Every time, it surprised her, and for a moment, Undyne was distracted by this cuteness. (That happened a lot.)

But then, when Alphys showed no signs of either waking up or stopping, Undyne shifted Psyche a little in her arms so that she could kneel down beside the couch. Immediately, Psyche reached out and snagged part of Alphys's nightgown, but again, Alphys didn't notice – even when she started tugging.

Undyne touched Alphys's forehead, but found it to be fine. She rubbed her cheek a little, as that usually worked, but again, nothing. Alphys was a light sleeper, which made this even weirder.

Undyne frowned, worried, now, and touched Alphys's shoulder, tapping it a little, before she resorted to shaking her, gently.

Alphys stirred, then reached up and slapped her hand away. The sudden movement startled Undyne into holding onto Psyche and jumping back, but by the time she was close again, Alphys was back asleep – and _still hiccupping_.

“What the _fuck_...?” Undyne muttered. “Alphy.” She shook her, again, calling for her louder. “Alphy! Hey! Alphy!!”

Alphys again reached up, but this time she grabbed Undyne's wrist, and her eyes snapped open and flashed yellow briefly.

Undyne relaxed; _that_ was a normal reaction, and seeing it made her feel much better.

Until, when Alphys was about to talk, she was cut off by a hiccup. Alphys looked surprised, a hand going to her chest, and when she hiccupped again, she winced, her other hand releasing Undyne's wrist and going to her stomach.

“Alphy, you were hiccupping,” Undyne murmured, placing her hand on Alphys's knee. “In your sleep...”

Alphys jolted, sitting up so quickly she succeeded in yet again almost scaring the shit out of her wife. “I was-- _hic_ \--what?!” she demanded, her eyes huge.

“You were hiccupping in your sleep.”

Alphys was already on her feet before she finished, stumbling to the washroom as fast as she could - which, honestly, wasn't that fast, but she tried.

As she did, she growled, “Why didn't y- _hic_ -you wake me sooner, Undyne?!”

“Hey, I just walked in,” Undyne answered, following her and holding Psyche close to her chest. “I just found you that way.”

Alphys turned to her, suddenly looking relieved. “Oh- _hic_ -kay. Okay. Th-th- _hic_ -that's okay. We-we might- _hic_ \-- _fuck_! We might still have ti- _hic--fuck!”_

She then went into the washroom and shut the door on Undyne.

She was not amused. “Uh,” she said flatly, knocking on the door. “Hello? This is the mother of your children and your wife in a few months?”

“You're already my- _hic_ -my wife! Fuck the- _hic_ -the humans!!”

Undyne couldn't hold back a laugh at that. It was true, after all. “No, thanks,” she replied. “Sticking with just you, thanks.”

“Ew,” Alphys answered.

“Why is that ‘ew'?” Undyne said, her tone flat again.

Alphys sighed – then hiccupped – then growled. “N-not-- _hic_ \--you. Come in.”

Undyne did, and found Alphys sitting on the toilet, looking grumpy. Psyche, always one for new sights, looked at Alphys with interest, and when their eyes met, she smiled – Undyne's smile, even without the teeth – and Alphys's expression softened. When Undyne knelt down in front of her, Alphys reached over and gently stroked Psyche's wispy red hair.

Undyne also softened at that, and she caught Alphys's gaze. “What's wrong, love?”

Alphys sighed, her chin in her hand. “I'm _hic_ -in- _hic_ labour.”

Undyne stared at her, her mouth open. When Alphys nodded, looking grumpy again, she shook her head slowly.

“Alphy!” Undyne cried, grabbing hold of her knee. “Alphy, oh my god! Did your water break?!”

Alphys made a face. “Wh- _hic_ -what? Undyne, th- _hic_ -this isn't some sit- _hic_ -sitcom--,”

Then, her eyes widened, and all three of them heard it: Alphys's water _definitely_ breaking. Psyche's eyes widened, and she turned a little bit to try and locate the source of the sound.

“W-well- _hic_....” Alphys blushed, covering her face. “At l-least I- _hic_ was sit- _hic_ -sitcomming on the right-- _hic--_ chair...” She tried to smile, but it only showed as a grimace.

“Hospital!” Undyne cried. “Hospital! Hospital! Hospi--,”

Psyche reached up and shoved her hand into Undyne's mouth with a soft gurgle, shutting her up as well as making Alphys laugh.

“Thank you, pump-- _hic_ \--kin,” she giggled, giving her eldest a kiss atop her head. (She wiggled and hid her face between Undyne's breasts, and Alphys envied her.)

“We don't– _hic_ –need to go to the hospi-- _hic_ \--tal, y-yet,” Alphys said, reaching up and tucking a stray strand of hair behind Undyne's ear, keeping her voice as steady as possible. “We don't-- _hic_ \--n-need to go until I start h- _hic_ -having con-contractions.”

Undyne bit her lip, her eye wavering; the gesture comforted her, but she still felt that something was... off. “But... if that's the case, why did you make such a big deal about the hiccupping?”

Alphys blinked, then went scarlet. She pressed her lips closed, and she suddenly sat up. “Uh-uhm...” she stammered. “H- _hic_ -heh... I'm-I'm--,”

“Fucking lying,” Undyne supplied.

“--yeah,” Alphys agreed, covering her face.

“The truth, or I'm gonna rig Psyche so she pukes on you.”

Alphys looked between her fingers “You-you can d- _hic_ -do that?”

Undyne smiled slowly, raising her eyebrows but not saying a word. Alphys shrank back; she knew that look very well.

“Th-the...” She hiccupped, scowling. “Th- _that_.” She covered her face again. “It-it- _hic_...” She growled. “Contractions,” she blurted out quickly before she could be interrupted again.

“What?!” Undyne cried.

“Wh-when they- _hic_ -they stop, th-that's wh-- _hic--fuck!!”_ Alphys lowered her head. “Wh-when th-they start.”

“How do you know that?” Undyne wondered.

Alphys was quiet.

Then, she murmured, her voice tiny, “M-my... _hic_... m-mo-mother... Sh-she wrote... _hic_... in one-one of her jour- _hic_ -journals... Wh-when…” She pointed to herself, then let her hand drop.

Undyne closed her eye for a moment, listening to Alphys hiccup. She _hated_ that woman, hated her for how she'd treated her own daughter, and hated how hurt Alphys had been her whole life – hurt that would last her her whole life, too.

When she'd died, Alphys had just finished high school, and she'd left Alphys a whole library of diaries chronicling her entire life – including everything she'd ever done with both her work, and Alphys – as well as an immense debt that took Alphys almost five years to pay off. She'd had to pay her own way through school, and only managed to get her doctorate on a scholarship.

Alphys never liked to talk about her mother. The only time she ever did was when she was drunk or high, and those moments were so rare, it was always by accident – and was always regretted, later. _Deeply_.

To hear Alphys speak of her now was surprising, because Undyne knew she was completely sober. Alphys, until then, hadn't spoken of her for nearly five years.

Undyne leaned forward and touched Alphys's cheek, and Alphys opened her eyes slowly, her hands lowering down to her lap. They filled with tears, tears that worsened the more she thought about it, as well as every time she hiccupped.

Undyne gently got her out of the washroom and back onto the couch, holding one of her shaking hands with her free one, the other still full of Psyche (who was quite enjoying this exciting event).

Undyne offered to help Alphys get dressed, but Alphys declined; she wanted to shower, first, and only when she'd started having contractions. She would shower in between the first round, so that when they started increasing, at least she'd be clean. (To start, anyway.)

So, they sat on the couch in a cuddle for a bit, waiting for the hiccups to stop. After a moment, Alphys closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Undyne's shoulder.

Between hiccups, Alphys said, “I'm scared... I'll be... j-just like... _her_...”

“No,” Undyne growled, reaching up and placing her hand on Alphys's pale cheek. Her eyes didn't open, but she leaned into it. “Alphy, you are _nothing_ that stupid, selfish, horrible, _fucking bitch.”_

Alphys laughed, surprising them both. “Tell me how you _really_ feel!”

“I'm serious!” Undyne insisted, feeling a bit of panic. She didn't want Alphys to think she was teasing her. “If she were alive, I'd beat the shit out of her.”

Alphys smiled, nuzzling her hand. “I'd let you.”

“You're nothing like that... that _co_ \--.” She bit back what she wanted to say; she'd probably already sworn too much in front of Psyche, but tried, anyway. “… _person_ ,” she finished tersely.

“H-how can... you poss-possibly know th-that for sure?”

Undyne was silent until Alphys opened her eyes and looked at her.

“Alphys, do you love our daughters?” she demanded.

Alphys stared at her. “Yes!” she cried. “ _Yes_! With-with _everything_ I am!”

Undyne nodded. “Exactly, Alphy. It's fucking impossible for you to be anything like her at all.” She paused, wincing. “Okay, you _look_ like her a lot and got her smarts, but the rest is shit, ergo, _not you.”_

“Did...?” Alphys smiled at her. “Did-did you... j-just say ‘ergo'?”

“Yepper. Told you. Nerdiness and smarts: STIs.”

Alphys laughed, finally, and they both felt better. Alphys cuddled closer and played with Psyche's hair, again, smiling. She sighed, her smile widening when Psyche smiled back, and Undyne watched them with a grin of her own.

Then, Alphys's expression changed into one of shock. “Undyne, I-I'm not hiccup--!”

And she lost all of her words – as well as her breath – when her first contraction hit. She pushed herself back so that she didn’t hit either of them, before she curled up into a tight ball – and thrown was in hell for a few minutes.

Undyne panicked. She knew she couldn't comfort Alphys with Psyche in her arms, and knew Alphys needed help, and she wasn't even close to being enough. She grabbed her phone and texted Toriel, begging her to get there as soon as she could. By the time she was done, Alphys was gasping – and hiccupping, again – and Undyne shoved her phone aside and grabbed her hand tight, forgetting about it.

“Ti-time it,” Alphys got out.

Undyne nodded, her eye going to the clock above the mantelpiece. While she held Alphys's hand tight (and could feel her shaking), and while Psyche not only grabbed a fistful of hair, but began to nom on it, Undyne kept her eye glued to that clock, murmuring soft words of comfort to them both.

Alphys took that time to rest. She'd thought she knew pain, by now, but this was amazingly trying her limits. It hurt, never stopped, and felt like being thrown back under the DTXM again.

Which was why she was slightly thrown for a loop when she only had _five_ minutes to enjoy that respite.

Undyne timed it meticulously. Her eye stared so closely at that clock (completely forgetting that she had a timer on her phone in her panic) and she counted the seconds as though it meant her life.

It had been only just over five minutes when she suddenly heard Alphys go silent, then felt her cringe and make a long, drawn-out and strained growl.

“What...?” Undyne cried, tearing her eye away and instead staring at her wife. “Alphy...?” She paused, shutting up when she realised that, at the moment, Alphys could barely hear her, let alone answer her. Her hand held onto Undyne's so tight it hurt, her claws digging in so hard that it broke the skin.

But Undyne didn't let go. She never would.

Alphys gasped out, “H-how- _hic_ -how l-l-long?”

Undyne hesitated, and for too long.

Alphys raised her head, reaching up and brushing the sweat from her forehead. “Undyne?”

“Uh,” Undyne answered, looking like she'd just been thrown onto a stage naked. “Uh...”

Alphys glared at her, too tired to speak, but too frustrated to let her get away with that.

“F-five,” Undyne squeaked.

Alphys jolted, then made a choked noise and dropped back down, her hands immediately at her belly. “Sh-shit...”

“Alphy...” Undyne whispered. “What do we do?”

Alphys bit her lip, trying to focus her breathing and stay calm. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “Get... get... help?” Her mind went blank in her pain; she completely forgot her doctor's name, the name of the hospital – all of it.

Undyne got to her feet and went to their bedroom for a moment, then returned with Psyche slung across her chest in a snug sling (something Psyche actually quite loved).

Then, she took hold of Alphys's hands and very carefully helped her back to her feet.

“Help,” Undyne suddenly begged, shaking, now, too. “Where do I take you?”

Alphys wobbled, but she also didn't linger; she knew exactly what was about to happen (well, almost), and knew they needed to be fast. Really fast. “Bedroom. Th- _hic_ -then...Towels. Lots.”

Undyne nodded, and together, they moved as fast as they could to their bedroom. When Alphys sat down on it, Undyne fled to grab as many towels as she could carry (which ended up being all of them) and came back, her arms full. (Psyche was buried under them all and squealed in delight.)

“Un-under me, quick,” Alphys said, shifting to Undyne's side of the bed so that Undyne could place the towels there.

Then, of all things, the doorbell rang.

Undyne had forgotten why that was important until then. “Toriel!” she yelped, shocking Alphys, before she held Psyche to her chest and ran to get her.

But the old queen wasn't alone: she'd brought both Asgore and Frisk. The moment she walked into the house, she took Undyne's hand.

“Where?” she asked. Undyne grabbed that hand and brought her right in, unable to spare even hugs for the others.

Toriel, the moment she saw Alphys, knew – especially when Alphys looked immensely relieved, then guilty – when she looked up at her.

“Oh, dear,” Toriel said, rushing over and helping Alphys lie down on the towels – something that had Alphys stammering gratitude between hiccups. With more help, Alphys was propped up so she was sitting up, and she laid back, closing her eyes for a moment and just breathing, her arms wrapped around her middle.

Asgore and Frisk had caught up, and the moment they did, Flowey suddenly popped up from Frisk's backpack and snarled, “You _idiots_ , call a fucking _ambulance!!”_

Frisk turned to him and glowered at him. “Thank you for your input,” they said sharply. “Now shut up.”

Flowey scowled at them, but Frisk returned it, and Flowey eventually muttered more obscenities before doing so. Frisk then rolled their eyes and pulled out their phone, calling for an ambulance.

Undyne hovered nervously around Alphys and Toriel, unsure of what to do, especially with Psyche.

Asgore went to her side and touched her shoulder, startling her, before he smiled and held out his arms. “I'll take care of her. You take care of Alphys.”

Undyne stared at him, her eye filling with tears, before she carefully took the sling off and handed Psyche to Asgore, who took hold of her so gently that it was as if he held spun glass and not a baby. But Psyche immediately grabbed hold of his arm, and he was distracted, carrying her into the living room. Frisk followed him, still on the phone.

By then, Toriel was kneeling in front of Alphys, trying to coax her into relaxing so that she could see how far along Alphys was. But it was then that Alphys had another contraction, and she reeled, having no idea what Toriel just said.

Undyne was on the bed and at her side the second that happened, pulling her into her arms. Alphys clung to her through it all, barely able to breathe until Undyne gently helped her.

By the end, Alphys was crying. “No, no, _hic_ , no...” she protested, her claws digging into Undyne's shoulders. “C-can't... hurts... _can't!”_

“Alphys,” Toriel murmured, her hands now on the doctor's knees. During the contraction, she'd used Alphys's distraction to finally check on her, and her face was sombre. “You need to start pushing, _now.”_

Alphys shook her head, trying to close her legs, considering what would happen if she just kicked Toriel away.

But then she heard Undyne whisper, “My love, I'm right here. I've got you. You can do this.”

Alphys stared up at her, her eyes bright with panic and pain. Undyne looked scared, it was true. But she also had a glint to her eye that comforted Alphys, despite all of this. She gritted her teeth and nodded, but whispered back, “D-don't let go.”

“I won't,” Undyne agreed.

And she didn't.

* * *

It was kind of funny, considering.

By the time the ambulance got there, Alphys was already holding her daughter, exhausted and shaking but also laughing between tears, in turn held by Undyne, who was in a similar state.

Toriel had done an amazing job; no one expected a queen to be a good midwife, but Toriel was also a healer, and knew exactly what she'd been doing. It was why, now, she was still focused on Alphys's care, only stopping when the paramedics took over with better equipment to help.

Alphys ignored everyone but her daughter and her wife. She held her baby to her chest and cried, unable to stop; she was so happy.

“Heya, Moira,” Undyne whispered, touching her second born’s cheek gently.

Alphys laughed when she heard that, as hearing it finally made it seem _real_ , above anything else, and it amused her.

Moira looked so much like Alphys that Undyne was thrilled. In almost every feature, she _was_ Alphys, save only a few differences; she had gills, which surprised them both, as well as small, fan-shaped ears. She also had hair, the same red as Undyne and her sister. She also, strangely, had blue irises, a dark blue that came from neither mother, and was completely her own. 

But the best part was that she wasn't yellow or blue, but _green_ – the same green that Alphys remembered seeing when she'd closed her eyes, tried to burn it to her memory. Now, she didn't have to. All she had to do was look at her daughter and see that beautiful green, the same colour as the magic that had brought her to life. 

They still had to take Alphys to the hospital, but everyone agreed that Toriel had done incredibly well – especially since she'd been on her own, as Alphys had been too caught up to even try to help, and her husband and child had been taking care of Psyche.

In the ambulance, Alphys was told to try nursing Moira, despite the setting, and it made her giggle; it was _ridiculous_ , what had just happened. But she still listened, and after a few missed attempts, succeeded – making her cry, instead, and burying her face into her daughter's hair.

Undyne was beside her, Psyche now back across her chest (Undyne refused to go anywhere without her if she could help it). Psyche was still wide-awake, and was amazed at where she found herself. She didn't notice Moira, yet, but would – and would stare at her for almost an hour, her brow furrowed.

Undyne leaned over and kissed Alphys's wet cheek, grinning. Alphys looked up at her, beaming up at her.

“Oops,” she giggled; she was perhaps a little silly from the epidural they'd finally given her, a relief to all of her senses. “I missed.”

Undyne snorted. "Alphy, that was the most stressful, weirdest, quickest, and most _insane_ birth I've ever fucking seen."

Alphys nodded sagely. "That's how you know for sure she's mine, too."

Undyne burst into laughter and held her tight. Alphys leaned into her embrace and giggled again, but this time, it was truly genuine. And it wouldn't be her last of that day – not even close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ember, would it interest you to see an epilogue with the two as teens and listening to this entire (granted, abridged and edited for them) shitshow? That way, you can see how they grew up? Let me know; I'm almost done!


	32. Chapter 32

Once, Alphys fell asleep with both girls in her arms.

She hadn't meant to; she'd spent most of the night before up and attending to both of them (Undyne needed her sleep that night, as the previous night had her in Alphys's position; they always swapped nights), and was very, _very_ tired. She did try to stay awake (with a great deal of cola and coffee), but...

But she was just so comfortable. She was curled up in bed and had been reading with Moira under one arm and Psyche under the other, when she just sort of… dropped asleep. She _did_ remember to take her glasses off and put her book aside, and she also made sure both girls were safe and comfortable, but after that, she was out like a light between them.

She just couldn't help it. She loved them both so unbelievably much, and even during the gross and frustrating moments, still loved them with everything she was. She had begged to be the one stay home and look after them, while Undyne ended up the one who went downtown to make sure their marriage license was ready, simply because doing so made her happy – and she knew her wife needed a break.

It had been three months since Moira was born, and both Alphys and Undyne were starting to get really excited. In a mere month, after a year of ordeal after ordeal after ordeal, they were finally – _finally!_ – getting married on the surface, so that the human laws would recognise them as they'd already been for almost six years.

Undyne had been so excited that morning that she sang, almost the entire time, and while Alphys was swooning (sometimes literally) from the sound of her beautiful voice, their daughters grinned and listened – and Psyche would scream and clap every time Undyne was done.

Undyne normally would have been embarrassed, but at this point, she actually loved it - loved _all_ of it. Almost nightly, she would make a point of reminding Alphys how happy she was, and it always made Alphys hug onto her tight. She was happy, too, indescribably so.

Alphys couldn't believe that, almost a year ago, she'd been so ready to let herself die. She was horrified to think of what would've happened if she had.

She certainly wouldn't be where she was, now: sandwiched between the two children that she and Undyne had made from their own love. Psyche was cuddled right in the crook of her arm, and Moira was lying halfway atop her dam's chest when she fell asleep. How could anyone, least of all their mother, resist following them into slumber?

When Undyne came home, she ran in without even taking her shoes off, dashing down to their bedroom with tears streaking down her face. The moment she got there and took in what she was seeing, she covered her mouth to silence herself – but also took out her phone and started taking as many pictures a possible, her tears increasing.

After she was satisfied she had enough (and chose the best one for her wallpaper), she left to throw her shoes and coat off, then tiptoed back. As silently as possible, she slipped into the bed beside them, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her head on Alphys's shoulder, closing her eye and just listening to all three of them sleep.

She didn't stop crying, but she was grinning, her heart so warm that she could do no less.

When she felt Psyche stir, she looked down and found her first-born already staring up at her, wearing a confused and sleepy expression. She then recognised Undyne and grinned, reaching up with both hands. Undyne returned that grin and picked her up carefully, placing her upon her chest and on her front.

Psyche was thrilled by this, and beamed at her, babbling what was probably an excellent discourse on the situation, one that Undyne listened to with that grin and her eye still teary.

Her speech woke Alphys, whom in turn woke Moira – who immediately started to cry. Alphys was so confused that she picked Moira up and checked her, then automatically sat up to nurse her. It was only when she looked up that she saw her wife, and she jumped in surprise.

Then, she saw Undyne's tears, and she stared at her, scared. “Undyne?” she murmured. “Wh-what happened? What's wrong?”

Undyne touched her cheek and leaned down, kissing her lips so tenderly and so deeply that Alphys was hers. She returned it, unable to touch her just yet, except her tail, which hooked around Undyne's thigh.

When she pulled away, Undyne kept close and whispered, against Alphys's lips, “Wanna get married, again, cutie?”

Alphys stared at her, her own eyes filling with tears. Her tail squeezed tighter, and her breaths became raspy _. “Yes,”_ she murmured. “Yes, _please.”_

Undyne kissed her again, sealing the deal.

* * *

That month was a blur, one that they both loved despite the stress. It was spent being the centre of attention, showered with help and gifts, and it spoilt them quite a bit.

But truly, if anyone deserved this joy, it was the two – now four – of them. Especially on the day of the shooting.

* * *

Alphys woke up early. Her eyes just snapped open, her breath catching, and she curled up into a ball, trembling and covering her face with her hands. It was barely after dawn, and everyone else was still deeply asleep, but Alphys awoke as if she'd never slept.

She felt _awful_. Her whole body was reacting before her brain even caught up, but when it did, she felt even worse. She knew what day it was. She knew it was supposed to be a joyful, happy day. And she knew she couldn't avoid going out in public.

But she was terrified of doing so, especially today. She kept flashing back to that one moment, to that human who screamed bigoted hatred at them, just for existing and showing each other affection. And she kept remembering what it had felt like to be shot – and have to, from the ground, watch Undyne get shot, too.

She barely remembered what happened after the ambulance arrived, but everything else, she could remember with such clarity that she wished she could delete the entire day.

She had no idea how long she remained a ball, but soon, she felt wonderful, strong arms wrap around her – as well as a leg. She heard Undyne sigh deeply, then felt her press a kiss to the nape of Alphys's neck, her eye closed and her smile sleepy.

“Morning, cutie,” she murmured, kissing her shoulder.

Alphys closed her eyes, grabbing hold of Undyne's arms and pulling her closer – something Undyne did with a soft chuckle. Alphys bit her lip, swallowing hard and trying to swallow her fear, but she failed, so she kept hiding her face in her pillow.

Undyne blinked, then, more awake and thus more aware. “Alphy?” she murmured, her smile fading. Alphys was silent, and Undyne could feel her shaking – though she soon also felt Alphys's tail wrap around the shin of the leg not wrapped around _her_.

“I...” Alphys rasped out, sniffling. “I'm... sc-scared...” Her voice broke. “I... I-I'm sorry...”

Undyne closed her eye and buried her face between Alphys's shoulderblades. When Alphys apologised again, misunderstanding Undyne's silence, Undyne shushed her, reaching up with one hand and cupping it around Alphys's wet cheek. Alphys grabbed it and pressed it in place.

“Tell me,” Undyne whispered.

Alphys nodded and did, her voice tiny and ashamed. By the time she was done, she was crying, again, and Undyne took hold of her and rolled her onto her other side, so they faced each other. Undyne then pulled her close, and Alphys latched onto her and clung.

“Hey, it's okay, Alphy,” Undyne murmured, kissing her forehead. “Wanna know something?” When Alphys nodded, she said, “I'm so fucking scared that I wanna bail and just stay home.”

Alphys looked up at her, surprised. Undyne nodded slowly, smiling weakly. The closer Alphys looked, the more obvious Undyne's fear actually was.

“I’m _so_ scared,” she went on, her eye filling with tears despite the smile. “I'm so scared that I just wish we could skip today and go right to the seventeenth. I wanna just forbid humans from being there. I wanna just hide in your arms and pretend we were somewhere else, _anywhere_ but here.”

Alphys reached up and started to stroke her hair, slowly. “M-me, too,” she whispered.

Undyne closed her eye and lowered her head. Alphys kissed her forehead, and suddenly Undyne was the one clinging onto Alphys, instead.

They stayed in bed and comforted each other through the morning, stopping only when Moira woke up – and in turn woke Psyche. At that, they both stared at each other, thinking the same thought, and slowly, they smiled.

“We can do this,” Undyne concluded, her voice stronger.

“Together,” Alphys agreed.

* * *

It was a beautiful day, the air cool and the sun bright and warm. Everyone was there, and it was wonderful; being with friends and family meant the world to all of them, and whenever they were together, it was the best.

Alphys and Undyne were talking with Frisk – and Flowey, oddly – while Frisk took turns holding Psyche and Moira. They chatted about fun things, first, but then veered into more serious topics.

“So,” Frisk said, now holding Psyche – who was intent, this time, on grabbing Flowey and yanking him out of the backpack. “This is scary.”

Alphys paled, nodding, and Undyne looked away, holding Moira up closer. “Yeah,” Undyne agreed, her voice tight. “I'm freaked out, Frisk.”

“I know,” Frisk agreed, their eyes dark and solemn. “So I’ve come with a topic to help with that.” They leaned their head back, just as Psyche had grabbed one of Flowey's petals. He squawked, loudly, and snarled out an obscenity as he popped out.

Then he blinked, realising it was Psyche who was pulling on her, and oddly, he calmed down. When Alphys came over to pry Psyche away, Flowey looked over at Undyne, who'd been watching closely.

“Uh,” he mumbled. “Sorry. Didn't know it was her. I would've still yelled, but in wussier words.”

Undyne and Alphys stared at him in complete shock. In all of their years of knowing Flowey - Alphys, especially - he'd never shown this kind of self-awareness before. He'd never cared how he spoke around anyone, loving it the most when he pissed Alphys off above all else. So to hear him apologise for swearing in front of a baby was very surprising, indeed.

Frisk smiled. “And that's the topic,” they added happily.

“It is?” Alphys frowned, confused. (Psyche reached up and pushed on her face to change her expression, something that worked very well.)

“Yeah,” Flowey answered, his voice a trace sharp. “Listen, Doc, did you ever zap a control for me?”

Alphys stared at him, her eyes going so wide that it actually kind of hurt. “What?” she squeaked out.

Undyne turned to her, surprised. She knew that tone of voice as well as its meaning, and it was not what she'd expected.

“Before you injected this body,” Flowey pressed. “I know it sounds stupid, because it was just a flower, but did you still zap it?”

“It's a long shot,” Frisk interjected, “but it's still a shot.”

“You want the cure,” Alphys breathed out, feeling a little faint. Then, she said something no one had expected: “Flowey, I'm so sorry, _I'm so sorry! I_ didn't even _think_ about it! I'm such an _asshole!”_

Oddly, that made Flowey laugh. It was sardonic, true, but it seemed genuine. “Golly, Doc, don't flip your lid. _I_ didn't even think of it until last week.”

“But _I_ should have thought of you right away! I’m so sorry!” Alphys covered her mouth closing her eyes. She really _was_ sorry, as well as deeply ashamed and embarrassed.

Undyne leaned over and slipped her free arm around Alphys's shoulders, leaning down and kissing her forehead. She knew why Alphys was so upset, and wanted to support her.

Alphys coughed, trying to get a hold of herself. (Psyche chirped a few sentences as Alphys calmed down, interested in this but also concerned. It helped, very much, and Alphys kissed her forehead, making her giggle.)

“Yes,” Alphys murmured, when she finally could. She met Flowey's gaze and held it, especially when he looked back with actual seriousness. “You're right: I did. I couldn't help it. I wanted to cover my bases.”

That was apparently not at all what Frisk or Flowey expected. They stared at her in similar shock, and she blushed, looking away.

Undyne nodded, leaning down and kissing Alphys's lips gently, surprising her. She returned it a little, and when Undyne pulled away, she said, “You knew!”

“I did,” Undyne agreed, beaming at her. “I know you.”

Alphys stared at her. “Yes, you do, don't you?” she murmured, touching her cheek, before trailing her fingertips over Undyne's lips.

Undyne went pink, her eye wavering. She kissed those fingers, holding Alphys's hand to her lips, and Alphys moved closer.

“Please don't,” Flowey suddenly snarled. “If _that's_ what I have to put up with to get a cure, you can just forget about it. It's not worth it.”

They broke apart, both red, now; they'd actually forgotten about anyone else for a moment, and now shared a similarly shy expression – while still keeping their arms around each other, regardless.

“But, Flowey,” Alphys then said, her voice stronger, now. “I... I want to help you. I'll do it. As soon as I can. I promise you, and I'm so sorry I neglected you.”

Frisk spoke up, then. "Also, we both agreed... The DT you'd use? Can it be mine?"

"Dude, Frisk," Undyne broke in, shaking her head. "Getting shocked is fuh--reaking painful. It's not something to be taken lightly."

"When have I ever taken anything like this lightly?" Frisk answered, peering up at her with those solemn eyes. 

Undyne opened her mouth, then shut it, nodding. 

Alphys was thinking about it. "If you know the risks, and want to do it, Frisk, I'll do it your way. Fresh DT might be a good idea, after all."

Frisk smiled, looking so happy about this that they beamed. "Thank you."

“Will...?” Flowey hesitated, looking at Frisk, and when they nodded, he went on. “Will it give me back my soul?”

Alphys blinked, her mouth open a little. “I don't know,” she admitted. “But... I'll still try.”

Flowey nodded, his eyes glinting. “Then don't be sorry. With this, we're even.”

Alphys smiled, nodding in relief. Undyne grinned at Frisk, who smiled back happily. It was now a hope they all shared.

* * *

The entire day was a good one.

Nothing terrible happened. There wasn't even heckling. There were no protests or picket lines, no harassment or shouted racism. The only things that were shouted were cheers, happy exclamations, excited calls of names, and so much laughter.

Everyone loved seeing Psyche and Moira. Undyne and Alphys were never alone, as there were so many people who wanted to meet them – as well as see their mothers.

Alphys was surprised by how many people came up to _her_ and expressed their happiness that she'd survived. She was expecting only Undyne to be told such things, but never her. She assumed anyone talking to her was just killing time until Undyne was free.

But she was wrong. And was shocked by how wrong she was. Especially when it came to humans.

The first few times a human came up to Alphys, she visibly flinched and moved closer to Undyne before she could even think about it. Undyne had the same reaction, but was able to hide it better.

But when the humans expressed true condolences and genuine concern, she was so surprised that she stammered on almost every word. And soon, she stopped flinching, and actually started to move forward to greet them.

Undyne, whenever she could, watched her as closely as possible, both from concern – but also affection. She noticed that every time Alphys flinched, she also moved in a way that protected both Undyne and their daughters, and that punched her in the heart very hard.

But it was when she stopped flinching and began to calm down that Undyne was truly smitten by her – to the point of occasionally ignoring the people talking to her to just watch her.

The best part, though, was when things began to slow down – and two people began to inch closer and closer together, their shared shyness so strange in two people usually anything but shy.

Alphys and Undyne were sitting under a tree in the shade. Undyne was nursing Psyche while Alphys held Moira as she looked around, her blue eyes bright.

“Check out those two freaking nerds,” Undyne then snorted, tilting her head forward. Alphys followed her gaze, confused, until she saw – and lit up.

“Oh my god! _Oh my god!!”_ Alphys cried, wiggling a little, her tail a blur. Moira blinked up at her, now, but her eyes stayed ahead.

There, far away from everyone else, were Mettaton and Papyrus, standing in front of each other and talking – and in a way that suggested that, no matter the topic, it was a perfect thing to talk about. 

As they watched, Mettaton suddenly grinned – and lunged for Papyrus, tackling him to the ground. Both landed in a huge pile of leaves, and now their faces were hidden in those leaves – but no one missed their grins.

Undyne burst into laughter, her laughs so loud and hard that she startled Psyche. Alphys did, too, laughing so hard, herself, that she fell back onto the ground, holding Moira to her chest.

It was, needless to say, the perfect conclusion to a perfect day.

Two days later, it only got better – a kind that was previously thought unattainable.


	33. Chapter 33

The wedding.

They couldn't help it: they stayed up the night before, the entire night, talking and making love, sometimes both...

It was a silly, ridiculous night, spent entirely in bed (unless either of them needed to check on their daughters), and it was wonderful.

Once, Alphys pointed out just how ridiculous it all was – and it was right after making love, too. They'd barely caught their breaths when she blurted it out.

She was sprawled atop Undyne, her cheek pressed between Undyne's breasts, grinning and wagging her tail. Undyne was completely relaxed beneath her, panting hard with her eye shut tight, her grin rivalling Alphys's.

“This is... so _silly_...” Alphys then said breathlessly. When Undyne made a small sound of acknowledgement, she went on. “We... We-we… we've been married... for almost six y-years, already... W-why are we getting... so worked up over th-this?”

Undyne listened, one arm wrapped around Alphys's waist, the other held above her head and limp. Her legs were still loosely entwined with Alphys's, and she felt so amazing that she barely registered what Alphys said until she focused.

“Mm...” Undyne managed, swallowing hard.

Alphys reached up and touched Undyne's hot, sweaty cheek, her other hand tangled in Undyne's hair, still. It helped Undyne's blood get back to her brain, and she finally found an answer.

“Mmrrr...” she growled at first, licking her lips slowly. “Good excuse... to fuck all night...”

Alphys laughed, and it made Undyne very happy, indeed. She opened her eye and found Alphys's eyes already open and looking at her.

“Really, though, Alphy?” Undyne murmured, her hand slowly tracing invisible hearts upon Alphys's hip.

“Really, please,” Alphys agreed.

“It's not just about getting married, anymore,” she admitted, her eye flicking between Alphys's. “Now, it's about the fact that we fucking _lived_. It's about the reality that we lived, and became _stronger_...”

She closed her eye, shifting a bit so that she could kiss Alphys's lips for a moment, so tenderly that Alphys returned it with equal gentleness.

Then, Undyne murmured, their lips still touching. Their eyes opened and met, and they both felt a wave of affection for the other.

“We have _kids_ , Alphy,” Undyne whispered. “We're a _family_.” Her voice wavered, and she swallowed hard, trying not to cry. “Even when they tried to rip us apart, they only helped us grow.”

Alphys sniffled, her eyes closing, speechless, so Undyne went on.

“So yeah. This is a big fucking deal, Alphy. Because some asshole decided it was enough reason to murder us. We're not just formalising our marriage for the humans, anymore. We're marrying again as new people, and we've _earned_ it, Alphy.”

Alphys sniffled again, then slid up and kissed Undyne again, her hands going to her shoulders and gripping tight. Undyne returned it, her tears escaping her, and when Alphys murmured, “Make love with me, again,” she was nodding before Alphys even finished her sentence.

Now she understood. And agreed.

* * *

In the morning, they both woke up shaking with excitement. They didn't have time to make love, again, but that was what the night was for. Now, it was time to focus outward.

Now, it was time to _win_.

* * *

The ceremony was, in comparison to monster ceremonies, so boring and short. And yet despite that, their eyes never left each other's, their smiles never faded, and their tears didn't stop for very long.

When the human judge bade them to kiss, they certainly kissed; Undyne grabbed Alphys and picked her up, kissing her very deeply. Alphys, in turn, wrapped around her and returned that kiss with the same passion.

It made everyone – except the judge – laugh happily, as it was the perfect way to renew their marriage.

* * *

The best part was the party, but that was expected, really, given the company. It was actually more crowded and wild than their Underground wedding, and that surprised them.

“Who-who _are_ these people?” Alphys squeaked out when she noticed, leaning closer to Undyne and looking up at her.

It was easy to see the entire room, as they were currently sitting at the head table, as they needed to take a break, as well as take over care of their babies.

Moira was fast asleep against Alphys's chest, drooling on her wedding dress quite contentedly, her hands holding the front of it tightly, even in sleep. Alphys had wrapped her up in a sling that Frisk had made for her – they'd made a matching one for Undyne, who was also wearing hers – and had her arms around her protectively, the amount of people making her nervous.

Undyne, however, was calm, and she pulled Alphys and Moira closer, so that she could kiss them both. (Psyche, wide awake, fully fed, and freshly changed, was having the time of her life.)

“Don't spaz,” she advised gently, smiling. “Dad's not letting anyone in that he doesn't know.”

Alphys relaxed, nodding. That was all she needed to know in order to calm down. She closed her eyes and cuddled into Undyne's side closer, smiling shyly and feeling herself blush. Even now, Undyne still made her feel giddy and shy.

Undyne felt the same, honestly. She'd never felt this kind of love before, a deep, undying kind of love, and it was that love that she felt with Alphys. She leaned down and buried her face into the top of Alphys's head, her own eye closing and a smile of her own gracing her face. When she felt Psyche tug on her hair, she didn't even blink; it just made her happier.

“Alphy,” she whispered.

Alphys looked up, her eyes dark and warm with the same kind of love that Undyne felt – and one Undyne could see.

“Hi,” Alphys murmured, still smiling shyly.

“Hey, cutie,” Undyne replied, her voice wavering with affection. “Guess what?”

“What, please?” Alphys said, instead.

“You're my wife,” Undyne whispered. To her own surprise as well as Alphys's, her voice broke, and her eye filled with tears. She reached between them and, very discreetly, slipped her hand beneath Alphys's dress from the collar and pressed it over the scar, there.

“And you're m-my wife,” Alphys murmured, her own eyes filling with tears.

“Alphy, my god.” Undyne’s voice was still soft, but now it was high with tears. “You're my _wife_. After both of us had accepted it would never happen. After both of us were ready to... to _die_...”

Alphys reached up and hugged her as best as she could, and Undyne uttered a tiny sob, one only the four of them heard.

“But, Undyne,” she whispered into her ear. “Remember? We lived. Despite it all, _we lived.”_

“Yeah,” Undyne agreed, smiling, again. “We... we're _still_ living.”

“And we're going to keep doing so until we've driven the world insane,” Alphys added, grinning.

Undyne lit up, and their eyes met again. Then, with a shared laugh, they kissed.

There was no other word for it: perfect.


	34. Epilogue

“And... yeah,” Undyne concluded, leaning back and thinking about it for a moment. “Yep. That's it.”

Psyche and Moira stared at her, blinking slowly. Then, Psyche frowned, chewing on her lip.

“What is it, dear?” Alphys wondered, smiling at her and leaning against Undyne.

“So, that happened when we weren't even one?” she asked, scratching her cheek under her glasses. “So, like, nine years?”

“Just a bit under ten years, duh,” Moira teased. “Can you brain?”

“Can you _not_ mouth?”

“Girls,” Undyne broke in gently, smirking.

“So this was also before Cousin Asriel was himself, again?” Psyche asked. “Whoa. I don't feel _old_ , but that makes me feel _weird_ , a time without him.”

“Wait, that means he and Cousin Frisk weren't even married yet, either!” Moira agreed.

Alphys beamed at this, her tail wagging a little. “Th-that's because you were only a year old when he came back,” she agreed happily. “And-and they got married two years later, af-after that!”

Undyne grinned at her, leaning down and whispering, “You're so _cute,”_ before kissing her nose. Alphys blushed, giggling a little, and she nuzzled her a little.

“Wait, hold on! I can't believe this!” Moira suddenly cried, her eyes wide. “You're saying, _basically_ , that me and Psy wouldn't be here if some _jerk_ hadn't _shot you?!”_

Both Alphys and Undyne went red, speechless.

“Uh...” Undyne said slowly.

“W-well, I-I w-wouldn't... I-I mean...” Alphys tried, her hands in the air and moving alongside her stammering.

“Wow,” Psyche answered, looking unamused. “Wow, Moms. _Wow_.”

“H-hey, we didn't _plan_ it like that!” Alphys protested. “And it's n-not like that was the _only_ thing that br-brought you here!”

“No, but if _it_ hadn't of happened, _none_ of it would have!” Moira answered sharply. “So it's true! We exist because of _attempted murder!”_

“That's so _stupid!”_ Psyche added, glaring alongside her sister.

Undyne looked at Alphys, who was already looking at her. They both looked embarrassed, but when their eyes met, their expressions relaxed, and they both grinned.

“You know what?” Undyne said, leaning down and pressing her cheek atop Alphys's head. “Fine.” Alphys nodded, moving under her arm and closing her eyes in content.

“Wait, what?” Moira blinked in confusion, her blue eyes bright. “So you _agree_ it's stupid?!”

“Yep,” Undyne agreed. “It really is. It's very, _very_ stupid.”

Psyche eyed her closely. “But...?” she pressed, waving her hand in the air to coax her on.

“But,” Alphys agreed. “It's no less true, ladies. Yes, if we hadn't of been attacked, things wouldn't be as they are. I don't know if you'd be here, still. I really don't.” She winked at Psyche. “But,” she repeated, and Psyche smiled at last. “The fact is... you _are_ here.”

“Yepper,” Undyne agreed. “And honestly? I'd get shot again any day, if it meant you'd both be in our lives.” She then frowned. “But not Alphy. Just me.”

Alphys smiled at her, kissing her cheek. “Neither, please.”

“Gotta agree,” Moira said. “Can we not have _anyone_ shot, please?”

“Is it really that bad?” Alphys wondered. “Knowing the whole story, now? You've been asking about my scar for years, now. Isn't it good to know? At least?”

Psyche glanced at Moira, who glanced back. “You _did_ ask her, Moira,” she said. “So technically this is _your_ fault.”

“Shut up,” Moira answered flatly. Her eyes were narrowed, again, and they flicked back up to her mothers. “Yeah, Mum. It is, actually.”

Alphys smiled. “Really?”

Moira nodded, sitting up and smiling. “Yeah! It really sucks, Mum, what happened to both of you. But... it's... yeah, it's actually kinda... kinda cool.”

“What,” Psyche protested, raising her eyebrows. “The near-deaths of our moms are ‘cool'?”

“No, you idiot,” Moira growled.

“Hey,” Undyne snapped.

Moira blushed and apologised, but then went on. “It's cool because you took something stupid and horrible and made it into something happy. You... you got married. You had... us.” She smiled again.

Psyche blinked, then looked embarrassed, blushing a little. “Oh, you're right.”

Moira got to her feet and lunged forward, crashing into her mothers at full force. They both caught her with a shared laugh, only to laugh again when Psyche jumped, too.

There was a great deal of kissing, hugging, and laughing, from all four of them.

Something happy, indeed.

**THE END**


End file.
